You are not alone
by mystery-is-my-middle-name
Summary: AU - Davina finds her way to the other side after being sacrificed in the Harvest ritual. When she finally comes back, she brings someone with her. As any great spells, her actions lead to dire consequences. However there is something much bigger then her or Kol Mikaelson going on. Secrets are never going to stay buried. Especially if you are a Mikaelson.
1. Chapter 1

_'You are a traitor!'_

 _'You do not deserve the power we've given you!'_

 _'You should be ashamed of what you have done, you foolish child!'_

 _'You wasted the heritage!'_

 _'Your sister did not deserve you!'_

 _'You are a shame to your family!'_

The voices never stopped. She tried to escape the ancestors but she never could. There was no way for her to escape them.

She would cry and she would sob and she would scream to muffle their voices but it was all in vain. Nobody was going to help her and she could not escape the darkness alone. She was lost, possibly forever.

 _'You are a filth!'_

 _'You were to be celebrated and ...'_

The voices stopped all of a sudden. She thought she just went deaf. But then the light came. She opened her eyes slowly, carefully. She was scared it was but a dream or an illusion the ancestors send to torment her.

"Well, hello there, darling." She heard a man with a British accent quite near. She tried to see but the light was too bright after all the time she spent in the dark.

"Who are you? Where am I?"

"A simple 'thank you' would have been enough." He said sarcastically, "The manners of this century."

Her eyes finally adjusted to the light. She was in the middle of a forest in a box that resembled a coffin a bit too much to her comfort. The man talking to her was standing next to her with the coffin's lit in his hands. He was young, maybe twenty, with brown hair and dark eyes and a handsome complexion that reminded her of someone she couldn't quite place.

"The voices - They stopped." They were really gone. Like they were never there.

"What voices? You were the only one screaming, love."

"The ancestors." She whispered to herself, but he heard her anyway.

"Ancestral witch, are you, love? How did you get here anyway?"

"Why should I tell you anything? You might just use me like the rest of them!" Her face hardened instantly. She got burned too many times. He might have saved her, but she knew nothing about him. For all she knew, he was another torture device.

"I did just save you, darling," He smirked at her. She just looked at him.

"Very well, love. My name is Kol. And I am sorry to tell you this, but you are dead."

"I know." She looked away.

"It's your turn to share a bit, love."

"I am Davina."

He was about to say something when the wind rose. His smirk was gone. Instead, there was pure fear in his eyes and she would have sworn he was shaking. One look at him and she was reminded of the harvest ritual and how scared she was. However, Marcel was not here now. Now, she had to find a way out on her own. The ground started to shake and she didn't even have time to react. Kol grabbed her hand and pulled her to him just in time for the coffin to be pulled into the sky by an invisible power.

The wind and the earthquake stopped just as suddenly as they started. Just like that. The only evidence being the missing coffin.

"We have to move, darling." He didn't let go of her hand as he led her further into the woods.

"Where are we going? And where are we for that matter?" She didn't know if she should run the other way or stay very close to him.

"The other side. I thought you knew you were dead." He didn't stop and they for a while until they passed by a few graveyards randomly located in the woods.

"No!" She pulled her hand from his and stopped. "I was supposed to be with the ancestors, I was before you pulled me out! I am not supposed to stay dead!"

"Darling, you are not making any sense. You need to calm down." He tried to sooth her but she was too far gone in her thoughts.

"The harvest should have worked. I should have been back ages ago!"

"The harvest?"

"Something must have gone wrong. Maybe it was Esther's remains or Sophie or ..."

"The harvest?!" He squeezed her shoulders and shook her a bit to put her out of her rambling. His eyes looking at her like he saw her for the first time.

"Yes, the harvest!" She pushed him away and took a few steps backwards until she hit a tree, fearing that feral look in his eyes.

"They still do it?! After all these years?! They are still doing that barbaric ritual?! Murdering the most powerful and purest! That should be considered a sacrilege! That almost puts me to shame!" He was downright pissed off at that moment.

"You know the harvest?" Most people didn't. Not even the vampires.

"Oh, yes! I know it alright!" He was still furious to the point of hardly registering her anymore.

"Do you know how I get back then?" She asked quietly and let the fear colour her voice fully for the first time.

He stopped at that, which surprised her since she almost didn't hear herself. He looked at her and the anger slowly left his eyes. He looked at her and put his hand on her shoulder. That was when she realised she was shaking. He let his hand ran down her arm as if he was enjoying the touch of another human being.

"I'm not certain. Why don't you explain everything from the very beginning? I used to be a witch, I might be able to help." He smiled at her. This time, however, it was a genuine smile, not a cocky smirk.

She had a choice. Tell him everything and hope she could trust him or risk wandering around for the rest of eternity in this hell hole, where you could be sucked into oblivion at any time. So, when he outstretched his hand, she took it and let him lead her away in the forest until they reached a small cave entrance. They stopped and he sat down under one of the trees closest to the cave She looked at it with doubt.

"Just a precaution, darling. Don't know about you but I don't fancy being sucked into nothing." She didn't say a thing, just watched him. .

"Well, how about we start from the beginning, love?"

She took a deep breath, sat opposite him, keeping her distance and then started talking. She told him how she was picked and how they lied to them and then it all just came pouring out of her. She didn't even realise how much she needed someone to listen to it all. Not even Josh knew every single thing. She told Kol absolutely everything, about Marcel and the attic, about Klaus and Elijah and Rebekah and Tim and Hayley with her baby. She didn't just talk about the spells and all she could remember but also all her feelings in as much of a detail as she could. And Kol just watched her silently and listen to her, his face controlled not to show any emotions, but his eyes were filled with anger the entire time.

It took Kol some time to realise that she stopped talking (bad listener! Maybe change it to "needed some time to react after she stopped talking). He looked her in the eye and smirked at her: "Good news, the harvest was done properly so someone probably interfered with the spell and brought back a different four. Once those witches die, you will be back in the land of the living."

"Really? That simple?" She asked. He wanted to tell her the rest, he was selfish enough to just tell her what dangers were lurking here, that this hell was about to collapse any second and that they can be sucked into oblivion at any moment. However, something stopped him. Maybe he's been dead for too long or he simply couldn't destroy the hope in her eyes. Either way, he smiled at her and nodded: "Yes, darling. It's that simple. You just have to wait it out."

"Thank you, Kol." She smiled back and yawned. Whatever it was, she felt safe with him. Maybe it was the place itself but she felt like she could trust him with anything. The more time she spent with him, the more comfortable she was getting. It should have scared her to death, but it didn't at all.

"You should probably get some rest. Even here you need to sleep."

She nodded and actually walked closer to where he was sitting. She sat next to him: "Is it alright if I stay here near you?"

"Sure thing, darling." He never let anyone too close, but lately, he craved the touch of another being, even a simple handshake. He could interact with the others but they couldn't really feel each other. Yet, for some reason, Davina was different. When he touched her, it was as if he was alive again. And so he let this girl rest her head on his shoulder as she fell asleep.

He didn't know what to make of this situation. The coffin just appeared out of nowhere and if he didn't hear he scream, he would he felt her there. The second he landed this eyes on her, he felt the need to protect her, to trust her, to help her. It should have him running for the hills, but strangely all he wanted was to stay by her side. This had magic written right over it. Kol just didn't know why or who and the girl didn't seem to catch the spell at all, but that was the least of his problems

His time here was cut short. The other side was falling apart because of on idiot in Mystic Falls, as per usual. He might be good at avoiding the holes but he knew this plane was not going to hold much longer. Then he would be gone for good. The thought shook him to the core. However, there wasn't anything to be done. Whatever was happening was irreversible and Davina was the only one who had a ticket out.

Or was she? He stopped and thought about the entire day. Everything she told him. She could have enough power to bring him back from the dead. She was a harvest girl. Maybe there was something good about this ritual after all. She was his one shot out. All he had to do was convince her that he was worth it, that she needed him alive and most importantly that the idea was all hers.

This should be fun.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello everyone! If you got all the way here and have any recommendations, I would like to hear them. I am just getting out of my four-years long writer's block and I am a bit rusty, so any pointers would be greatly appreciated. If you like it, don't like it please let me know.**

 **More chapters comings soon, they are being run by my Beta. :-)**


	2. Chapter 2

Davina woke up to the earth shaking. She somehow ended up with her head in Kol's lap comfortably lying on her side.

"What is happening?" She pulled herself away from him and felt the hand that was on her hip slide away. She felt cold without that touch which should have been strange since he is a ghost but he felt warm to her touch.

"Not to worry, darling." He looked at her, "It's far away from here."

"What is? What's going on?" guess he will have to tell her the truth or something similar to it.

"It started a couple of weeks ago. I think. Time here feels like it moves so much faster, at least, it feels like I have been here for years. Whatever or whoever is doing it opens holes in this plane, sort of like a black hole that devours everything that is near. A lot of people got sucked in already. But I am really good at avoiding them and knowing how far away you need to be to be safe. As I said: not to worry, darling!" He smirked at her.

That calmed her down and she visibly relaxed once again and moved a bit closer to him. "This is not what I expected the afterlife to be like."

"You and me both, darling."

The ground was shaking again. This time, around Kol didn't calm her down. Instead, he took a hold of her hand and quickly stood up. He helped her up and dragged her towards the cave entrance.

"Are you mad?" Davina tried to get out of his grasp. That cave looked too dark and too small after the time she spent in the dark among the ancestors. She definitely didn't want to go inside. In fact, she wanted to stay far far away, even if she felt safe with him which was still too weird for her to deal with choosing denial as a tactic.

"It's too close, Davina! It will suck us in if we don't!" Those caves were a safe hideout like the once he and his family used in his youth to hide from the wolves. But he knew that Davina didn't want to go inside. He knew what it was like to spend too much time in a coffin. He did repeatedly and he could still remember the claustrophobia that followed each of those times his brothers decided he was to be put away.

He tugged her towards the cave once more and she went this time. Once inside he led her through tunnels further and further away from the entrance. She tripped over every stone because she couldn't see and if it wasn't for Kol she would fell flat on her face.

"How can you see anything?" She asked as she stumbled once again.

"Vampire senses, darling." He didn't even phase like it was a given.

She abruptly stopped and let go of his hand: "You said you were a witch."

"No, love. I said I used to be one. Mummy dearest had a different idea." Even to his ears, that sounded way too bitter. He hoped he would get the magic back here, but that was a lost cause. His magic was gone and he wasn't ever going to get it back.

"Your mother did this to you?"

"She was protecting us!" He spat out with hate. "The better way would have been to just kill father dearest."

"I am sorry." She realised in that moment that they probably had more in common than it seemed at first glance. She reached out her hand to the direction of his voice and he found it with ease.

"Long time ago now, love. Didn't stop me from trying to get the magic back, though. Studied every bloody magic on this planet."

They started walking again until they arrived to a small cave with a fluorescent pond in it. The pond provided enough light for her to be able to see again. She looked at Kol again and for the first time, he actually looked like the ghost he was.

"How long until it's safe again?"

"Probably not for a long time. A couple of hours before the rift moves again. Until then, we are stuck here. Don't worry, I would be able to hear it move." She let him lead her near the pond and sit down next to it.

There was a comfortable silence while Davina looked around the cave. Kol kept watching her. She was still like a puzzle he wanted to solve and the only thing that made him feel alive in months. The second he convinced her to bring him back, he is going to go back to Mystic Falls and finish what he started. After all, the Gilberts more than deserve his wrath.

"How did you die?" She asked softly, interrupting his thoughts, "If you don't mind me asking."

He looked at her. Well, what can he say without telling her who exactly he was? After all, Klaus wasn't her favourite person, not even by a long shot.

"I came to a town called Mystic Falls. I was there to help my family. Never should have returned, but my sister called and I came." The same sister that grieved all of 24 hours, "See, she was looking for a cure for vampirism."

"There is a cure?!" She looked at him like he just told her he is God himself.

He smirked: "Not anymore. There was only one dose. I am getting to that. Patience, darling."

"When I tried to help her, I found out that they were, in fact, other players trying to wake up Silas. An immortal being that was prophesied to raise hell on Earth. I couldn't have that. So, instead of helping my sister, I tried to warn them. When that didn't work, I tried to stop them. They killed me for it instead. And just as I predicted, Silas turned out to almost do just that. I died for nothing, trying to do the right thing for once in my life. And my family, their big grief lasted less than a bloody day." He spat the last part out with as much bitterness as he could manage.

"I am so sorry." She said and squeezed his hand. He just smiled at her sadly, not even his family managed to say those words to him, instead, he heard them from a girl that he hardly knew and was planning on using. It almost made him feel guilty.

"Ah, well. Not your fault, darling. Anyway, there is much more we can talk about." He smirked at her and suggestively rose his eyebrows at her, making her laugh.

"Why do I have a feeling you flirt too much?" she asked giggling.

"Because you are smart," He answered still smirking at her.

"Well, tell me a story then. You traveled the world and studied every magic available. I never stepped a foot outside of New Orleans."

And so he talked. Adventure after adventure. And he made her laugh and he made her breath stop with suspense. He has always been a good storyteller.

Soon this has become their routine. When the rift came, they would come into the cave and he would talk for hours. They would take walks around the forest and he would keep her away from everyone else. She was his and he wasn't bloody sharing. He would teach her magic and they would play mind games with one another. They would run from the black holes and Kol would try to keep her from seeing the true nature of this place. The trapped souls of all the supernatural beings, some of them wandering aimlessly others fighting but never really getting anywhere. They would hear the screams of those sucked into oblivion and whenever they would see another soul, exhausted one or angry one, all of them would be scared with that haunted look in their eyes that Davina saw on her own when Marcel saved her.

After a few days, Davina understood why Kol said he felt like he was here for a century. Eventually, the days blended together for Davina and she became more and more dependent on Kol until she realised one day, she couldn't go back and leave him behind. That day she decided that Kol was going back with her. She wasn't going to leave him in this hell. He was what kept her from falling apart in this place and he was what saved her all those days ago. All she really had to do was to link them together. And when she would pass, the ancestors will bring Kol without even realising it. She wouldn't even have to tell Kol.

And so, she waited until he was tired as well. Funny how you don't need to eat, but you need to sleep. He didn't have to sleep as much as she did, but he still needed to from time to time. The spell wasn't hard, a simple incantation and a little bit of a blood bond. Since Kol taught her that, she knew it was going to work. So, when Kol fell asleep, she kneeled next to him and started chanting. She only stopped when she felt the spell take hold. Taking the sharp-edged stone she found a day earlier, she cut Kol's palm. He didn't even flinch. Probably unable to feel the prick to his skin, being a ghost and all. She then proceeded to do the same with her own palm. She took his hand and muttered the last verses of the spell. All of a sudden, she could feel him. She could feel so much more. It was like her eyes were finally able to see. The whole world transformed in a matter of seconds. This must be what Kol saw the world like every day. It was amazing and it made her head spin. She lied down next to him and just watched him sleep for a while before she drifted to sleep as well, never letting go of his hand.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, I hope you liked. Again, let me know what you think.**


	3. Chapter 3

Something was wrong she knew that the second she woke up. For starters, she couldn't breathe and there was something wrapped around her, some kind of a cloth.

She started to gasp for air and claw her way out of the cloth but it was wrapped around her too tight and in multiple layers.

"D, D, it's alright. I've got you." She heard Marcel and then she felt someone's hands trying to help her. She thrashed around even when Marcel told her to hold still until, finally, she was free and she could breathe again.

She looked around still disoriented. She was back in the attic and Marcel was holding her in his arms like the first time he saved her. Before she met Kol, this would make her feel safe, so so safe. However, Kol could always calm her much better than even Marcel could.

"It's ok, D. You are safe now." Marcel's voice was still as soothing as she remembered. But Kol was nowhere to be seen. She hadn't anticipated how much she would miss his company. After all, they spent so many days together. Or … maybe it was only a day or to, or maybe it was all a dream, maybe Kol is not real, maybe he never was and she just created some hot guy to pass the time with, maybe the entire place was just a dream or a hallucination.

Her hearts started to beat so hard and fast, she would swear it was hitting her ribcage. No, Kol had to be real! He just had to! The spell must have brought him back. Maybe he's somewhere else in the city, or maybe he is by his grave?

Oh! The spell! How could she be so stupid?! She quickly looked down to her palm where she found a partly healed cut that certainly wasn't there during the harvest, the same cut she made to complete the link.

"D?"

He was alive and that was all that mattered. She would find him and everything would be alright again.

* * *

Kol woke up startled and yelped in pain. His naked body automatically jumped into the nearest shadow. The sun was shining and his skin was burning from it. He was back to the land of the living. But how? He didn't even have time to convince Davina to bring him back and she was on the other side when he went to sleep.

Davina! She was still stuck there!

Even though it wasn't the plan, Kol felt bad. Bad that he left her there alone and bad that he wanted to use her in a first place. This was not good. He didn't care. Not for a witch, he hardly knew. But then again, if he was being honest, he knew her well and she was just what he needed on the other side. Kol could still remember what was the place like before and how it almost drove him mad. His revenge was the only thing keeping him sane. Davina cannot stay dead! Absolutely not! Well, it looks like he will have to kill the witches that hijack the harvest and bring back Davina himself.

First things first. He will need some clothes and a daylight ring. He looked around, of course, he was at the compound. Niklaus would hardly be anywhere else. And Kol could still remember this house. He knew where Nik's room would be, his clothes should fit at least for now. And there probably will be a vampire with a daylight ring somewhere.

Kol snuck into his brother's room knowing it would be empty. He ran through the sunlit room to the walk-in closet ignoring the pain it caused him. He quickly opened the door to shield himself from the sunlight only to find a nursery. Did Nik really have to change the bloody compound now?

"Hey! Who the hell are you?!" Kol turned around to find a man walking into the room. He was tall, muscular, dressed in leather and black and positively a vampire with a shiny daylight ring on his finger. Kol smirked. Now, this is what he missed. He ran to the vampire and broke his neck before he could even attempt to make a move against him. He stripped his daylight ring and put it on his finger after he dragged him into the shadows. He stripped him of his clothes and put them on. They were too big but they would do for the moment.

Kol hurried down the stairs and out of the house. He had a witch to save. And once he is done, he can go and kill a doppelganger. This should be fun. Those bloodthirsty witches are easy to find anyway. This should be fast. He found his way to the cemetery easily. Even after almost a hundred years, the city hasn't changed and he could remember every detail of it. The only thing he actually liked about this bloody place were the witches that turned out to be no use and more power-hungry than Nik.

That was when he heard them. Nik, Elijah and Bekah. Fighting. Like always, Elijah in between them. He didn't really care what they were fighting about. They didn't care about him, he was just returning the favour. But it also meant he wasn't going to get to the cemetery unless he was prepared for an excuse of a reunion with the lot of them.

Bar it was then.

* * *

Marcel kept talking and asking but she barely heard. She needed to find Kol first. Then she will calm down and he will help Marcel to protect her like he did before. The witches would be definitely angry but she will need a teacher. And she would trust Kol over any witch in this town.

"D? Please, tell me what do you need? Are you alright? What happened to you?"

"I was on the other side." Davina started slowly. "The ancestors, they were so angry with me. I used my power against myself."

Marcel squeezed her shoulders like he used to and it still didn't calm her like it used to. She missed Kol even though she was with him only just five minutes ago.

"Then a man saved me from them. He used to be a witch before he was turned into a vampire. He taught me spell I didn't even knew existed and told me stories and kept me safe there. So, I brought him back with me. And I thought he would wake up with me but he didn't and he is God knows where and doesn't know what is going on. I need to find him, Marcel."

Oh, God! It's daylight! What if he got burned and is back again? What if all she did was cause him more pain?

"Davina, please calm down. You are shaking. We will find him. He will be safe." But she wasn't really listening. She could feel the link. All of a sudden it was present like never before and it was calling her outside. He must be close.

She quickly stood up and ran down the steps and outside the church not even bothering to tell Marcel what was happening.

"KOL!" she shouted as she ran out. A man in black jeans and a leather jacket too big for him turned around just in time to catch her as she threw herself into his arms. He hugged her back and she calmed down for the first time since she came back. It was like she was whole again and had no reason to ever be scared again.

"What have you done, Davina?" He asked as he smoothed her hair and she continued to hug him not willing to let go of him.

"I had to bring you back! I couldn't leave you there."

"What kind of spell did you use, darling?" She couldn't place the tone of his voice but she knew she didn't like it one bit.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" she heard Marcel behind her before she could answer.

"Kol?" But Kol was not looking at her. He was staring at Marcel. And it didn't look good.

"Marcellus, you grew up." Kol knew Marcel as a child? But Marcel grew up with Klaus and his family. And that was when she realised exactly who Kol was. He lied to her all along. He died in Mystic Falls, Klaus moved to New Orleans from that place. Rebekah was there as well and she said she had more brothers. Kol was a Michaelson. He was Klaus' brother! And she brought him back from the dead. How could she be so stupid? He played her until he got exactly what he wanted and he probably didn't even care about her. It was all a game to him or maybe a sick revenge for not being his brother's lap dog.

"I said get away from her!"

"Davina, darling, please tell me you didn't use the linking spell." She looked at him hurt from the betrayal. Everyone just wanted to use her. Even Marcel. And now she even had lost him. Although she probably never had him in the first place.

"Davina! Answer me, damn it!"

Kol got pushed away from her by Marcel and she felt like he cut off her hand and actually screamed in pain. She didn't know what was going on but the next second Kol was kneeling next to her and holding her again. The pain just disappeared like it was never there in a first place.

"What is happening to her?" she heard Marcel somewhere behind her. She would like to know as well. She thought she was stronger than that. That she wasn't a scared little girl anymore.

"She linked herself to me. But the link is only one way. It's tearing her apart to be away from me." He then looked her in the eye and could see the fear that settled there. She was supposed to be angry at him, but she couldn't even be that with the link between them. At least, she thought it was the link.

"Davina, I didn't tell you about all the spells so you could choose the most dangerous one and actually bloody do it, darling. I was just trying to impress you, you silly girl." He took her into his arms. "Where is home?"

She pointed towards the church and he started caring her there: "You witches these days! If it's not cemeteries it's churches. Do you lot even know how to have fun?"

She giggled tiredly at the comment. It felt like it was just the two of them again. Like they were back in the caves where everything was still right. He carried her inside the church that has been home for her for months and she directed him up the stairs and into the attic. That was when she lost conscious and succumbed to the darkness.

"Can this be fixed?" Marcel asked as Kol lowered her onto the bed. Their eyes met and Kol stared at him for a long while.

"Months and this is the best you could do, Marcellus?" Kol wrinkled his nose as he looked around. There was nothing but the bed and candles around.

"I moved her out of here, you idiot. Now answer me."

"And where did you move her that she still considers this home?"

Marcel just stared at him angrily.

"Oh for the love of God! Would you already pick up the damn phone? It's annoying!"

Marcel begrudgingly reached inside his jacket and pulled out his phone. He hesitated but the annoyed look on Kol's face made him pick up.

"Yes?" He answered.

* * *

 **A/N: Another chapter! How did you like it? I won't know unless you leave a comment. I might be a psychologist, but reading minds is quite hard through a screen :-)**

 **P.S.: Thank you all for the positive reviews. This story is certainly a multi-chapter and I will try to update as fast as I can.**


	4. Chapter 4

This was bad. This was very bad. Kol didn't even stop to think about the impact the spell could have on a person. She was never supposed to use it.

He looked at the girl on the bed. He spent the last couple of weeks with her or maybe it was less? No, it must have been more. Time on the other side was so screwed up! He came to quite like her. He didn't like the guilt he was experiencing at that moment and he just knew it was going to ruin his revenge. Before he died he would just leave the girl to suffer or even pack her up with him. A witch was always useful.

But he already died and he knew that the other side wasn't going to be there forever. He knew that if he were to die, he would truly end up in hell and he really didn't fancy that. The girl was his lifeline on the other side. Now, it seemed their roles had been reversed.

"Nik let me go." He heard his sister on the other side of Marcel's phone. "But I have to leave town. Tonight. I thought I would say goodbye."

"Then you should probably come to the church. Kol is here."

"What?" He could hear her voice skip. Oh, how sweet! Now she cares? For how long? The next five minutes?

"Now, Marcellus, who said I want to see her?" He couldn't stop the words from coming out, knowing Bekah would be able to hear him.

"Kol! Is it really you? How?"

"Apparently he tricked Davina into letting him hitch the ride to the land of the living."

Kol had a nasty comeback for that but decided to focus his attention on the witch in from of him. Something had to be done about this and fast or the poor girl would be dead for good. It troubled him more than it should. He decided it was just an after effect of coming back to life. Because he didn't care about anyone. They would just disappoint him, even his own family couldn't love him, why would someone else and why should he? He didn't.

At least, that was what he told himself but deep down he knew it was all lies. And he already cared about Davina. The only question was how much because he stopped trying to figure out the reason why a long time ago. He might look into it once he had time, but he had to prioritise.

He really needed some time alone to figure out his thoughts. However, he didn't have the luxury of that unless he wanted Davina to die. That link was never meant to be one sided. If she were a vampire, it would have bought her some time. This way, there was no turning back. The decision needed to be made. He will either binds himself to her in the next two hours or she will die.

"Marcel, I need some ingredients to break the link." He said all of a sudden.

Marcel stopped mid sentence. God knows what he was saying. Not that Kol cared.

"What? And leave you her with her?"

"Do you have any idea how dangerous the spell was, Marcellus?" Kol said in a mocking voice as he looked him in the eye, trying to make him see how dangerous **exactly** it was without actually telling him. And fortunately, Marcel could read between the lines. The fear that settled on his features told Kol as much.

"Rebekah? I have to go." Marcel hung up on her. Not even waiting for a reply. "What do you need?"

 _'_ _You to get out.'_ So Kol gave him a list of ingredients used in a cloaking spell. It put enough items on the list but it also wasn't a harmful spell.

He waited until Marcel was far enough gone that he couldn't hear him. Kol knew what the girl needed to survive. She needed to be fully linked to him. He would need to give up a lot for her unless he wanted her to hate him completely. He could still complete the link and take Davina to wherever he wanted but that sounded too much like a Nik thing to do. He didn't want to be compared to his brother. He lost too much to him. None of his siblings would side with him, to help him stand up to Nik. He was becoming Mikael recently, the one thing he never wanted to. Serves him right, he supposed.

He could let her die. All he had to do was leave. Just get up and walk away to wherever he wanted. Two more hours and the girl would be gone. It was easy and didn't even come close to some of the things he had done in his previous years on this earth.

However, all he really wanted was to be loved and accepted. To have something that was exclusively his and something he didn't have to share. Davina would be his, his little witch that hated his siblings. He might sacrifice a bit of his freedom but that didn't really matter. He only needed to be around sporadically. He might have to stay in town but he won't be forced to be glued to her hip.

The prospect of a Claire witch at his disposal was very enticing and it would make his future plans much easier. And if he was going to get his deserved revenge, Davina was the best protection on the market. He underestimated the Gilberts once; he wasn't going to do that again.

He was finding more and more excuses for completing the link, rationalising his behaviour but the simple truth was that he didn't want her to die. He couldn't imagine a world without her in it. He couldn't let her die. That was not an option for him. And this attachment he felt from the first moment he saw her was getting stronger and stronger. It wasn't natural, that much he knew. Whatever was happening to them, he needed to find out. And put a stop to it.

But before he could do that, there was a link to be completed.

He positioned himself next to her and moved his hand to her cheek making sure he never lost contact with her skin. He didn't need to cause her more pain. He didn't even need to concentrate much and he was in her head. After all, it was a parlour trick for a vampire, let alone an Original.

 _He found her by a lake sitting on a wooden jetty. Her legs swinging from the sides and splashing the water lightly. The sun made her hair look auburn and light up her face in the red and pink colours of the setting sun._

 _"_ _Hello, darling." He said as he approached her, "Didn't know you were such a romantic."_

 _She turned around to see him startled: "What are you doing in my head?!"_

 _The moment she saw him, her features changed as she became angry. Well, furious would be more accurate to what she was feeling. He was a Mikaelson!_

 _"_ _Well, as it turns out, I am here to save you." He smirked._

 _"_ _I don't need your help!" She was stubborn and didn't bow down to him. At least, he won't be bored. Davina was a lot of things but dull was not one of them._

 _"_ _Since you are dying. I would say you need me."_

 _"_ _Dying? I am not dying!"_

 _"_ _Aren't you? Well then maybe I am not even here and you are just hallucinating."_

 _"_ _Why am I so drawn to you?" She asked all of a sudden as she stepped closer. "You are a Mikaelson. Your entire family used me over and over again. You came out of nowhere and I blindly followed you like a lost puppy. I spilled my secrets to you the day we met. I told you things no one else knew. It's not just the link I created. I felt so safe. I know I shouldn't trust you, but I do. I can feel the pull here, I am more aware of it and I should want to be as far away as I possibly can, but I don't want to. Why?"_

 _Her voice was almost a whisper and she was voicing his own concerns._

 _"_ _I don't know." He said as he stretched out his right hand to caress her cheek. "But I will find out. You have my word."_

 _She smiled back at him._

 _"_ _Now, for the link …"_

* * *

Across from that fated church in the French Quarter stood a teenage girl. To everyone, this girl was known as Abigail, a cute blond harvest girl. But the soul inside was much older than the teenage girl who's body she inhabited.

The girl frowned. Davina Claire was not supposed to be on the Other side, she was supposed to be with the ancestors the entire time. And she certainly wasn't supposed to meet Kol let alone bring him back from the dead like she did.

She had a clear plan. Kol would have joined her and Finn before the Other side would collapsed. But now he was an abomination once again. And she wouldn't be able to use Davina Claire anymore. She wouldn't be able to convince her to abandon her vampire friends and she definitely wouldn't be able to break the link that foolish girl created.

All of this forced her to act sooner than she thought. She wanted to put her children into new bodies before she killed the child but whoever was messing up her plans was standing in the way. She had the girl lined up to be the killer. Convinced the ancestors to drive the girl mad, but it would seem whoever was drawing Kol and Davina together was trying to protect the child by doing so.

"Mother? What are we to do?" A slender man with dark complexion and groomed beard approached her.

"Not to worry, Finn. I have to but adjust the plans a bit. I will not let Dahlia touch any of you." She turned to the man and caressed his cheek as a mother would to a child.

* * *

 **A/N: How do you like it? Be sweethearts, and let me know :-)**


	5. Chapter 5

Davina woke up to Rebekah's voice calling her out: "Davina! Wake up! Come on!"

She reluctantly opened her eyes. She didn't really want to deal with her. She needed to talk to Kol. She could still remember their conversation and the spell she did in her sleep. And more importantly, what that meant.

"What?" She asked groggily.

"Where is he? Where is Kol?" Rebekah asked her frantically. It was just her and Rebekah. Kol was gone. Her eyes scanned the room for any kind of evidence of his presence hoping he left at least something. But there was not even a note. Nothing to be found.

"I don't know. He was carrying me here before I passed out." Davina remembered the dream she had about Kol. He helped her to complete the link and then she woke up. That was it. There was nothing else. Or maybe… She had to try really hard to remember the bits and pieces that were missing. It was as if she was looking at the dream from such a distance, she couldn't see properly. She could barely remember the anger she felt towards him. Now that she was awake, she just accepted him the way he was. Mikaelson and all. She felt drawn to him in the dream as well but for some reason she questioned it. Like it was something bad, something unnatural. But it couldn't have been, because what she had with Kol felt like the most natural thing in the world.

"Where would he go?" Rebekah asked, but the question wasn't really directed at Davina, so she didn't bother to answer. She had more pressing issues. She desperately needed to find more information about the binding spell. She needed to figure out what exactly she did. Kol wasn't around and he seemed tight-lipped about the entire situation. The only other source of information would be the witches of New Orleans. The same witches that sacrificed her, the same witches she fought all these months and, more importantly, the same witches with a link to the ancestors that made their feelings very clear.

She might have to risk going back. Just the thought of it made her sick and made her reconsider. Kol was her only other source of information. And she will get what she wants. She will be strong and she will show them all! She was pushed around enough! If they think they can stop her, or control her, they will have another thing coming. She will be stronger than ever before. She won't need anyone to protect her. She will protect her loved ones instead. After all, it shouldn't be that hard since she didn't have that many of them.

Marcel's arrival interrupted her musings. He ran into the room at vampire speed and stopped only when he saw that Davina was conscious. That was also when he noticed Rebekah. However, Kol was nowhere to be found.

"He didn't need any of this, did he?" Marcel asked anger clear on his face.

"What?" Davina asked, quite intrigued about the excuse Kol used to get Marcel out.

Marcel handed her the ingredients and his eyes were watching her every move, making sure that she really was alright and wasn't about to faint again. Davina took one look at the items in front of her and had to suppress a laughter. Kol really was clever. The items put together were designed for a simple cloaking spell. Every teenager wanted to learn that. She had first used it as a nine-year-old to hide her journal.

"It's for a cloaking spell." She said finally, silently congratulating herself for keeping a straight face. "He probably wanted to be alone. I am pretty sure he managed to fix whatever was happening to me."

"Why would he?" Marcel asked her, still very angry, "Davina, what really happen between you two? That guy doesn't care about anyone!"

"That guy is my brother!" Rebekah stepped into the conversation getting as angry as he was.

"Yeah, should we mention any other brothers? They are same assholes." Davina just watched. This was what love was? She knew he cared about Cami but the girl he really wanted was Rebekah. It had always been Rebekah. And from what she understood, he was Rebekah's great love as well. So, how could they talk to each other that way? They were fighting over nothing.

She didn't want to think about a future that could hold a similar relationship for her.

* * *

In a small town near New Orleans, Kol finally arrived at his destination. He didn't trust any of the witches in the French Quarter. Any one of them could be behind all of this. He was happy to be back and he was going to bloody enjoy it. And eventually he would get his revenge but at this moment, he needed to figure out, who was doing all of this.

He needed to know why they were drawn to each other. It must have been magic because he knew he should care to find out, but something was telling him not to. That it didn't matter.

He knocked on a door of a completely ordinary looking house. One would expect a trophy wife to live in one of those, he knew better. The door opened and a slender blond woman in her forties came face to face with Kol.

"Can I help you?" she asked as she looked him up and down.

"Why, yes love," He smirked at her. "My name is Kol Mikaelson."

She paled all of a sudden and her eyes widened. Her breathing became shallow and her heart resembled that of a hummingbird. She was scared. Good, his reputation didn't die with him.

"I … I don't know anything. I … I am … sure you can …" She started stuttering. Her family betrayed him to Klaus once and he ended up daggered for it. The family might have stopped actively using magic, but the stories hadn't died down. They all feared his revenge for that betrayal. If there was something he hated more than anything, it was those daggers.

"Easy, love. We both know what blood runs in those delicious veins of yours."

"Please, I have children and I …" He must have been one hell of a scary bedtime story. Kol had always been used to the anger. Anger at the witches for having what he couldn't, anger at his siblings for always overlooking him, anger at all the women only ever seeing a pretty face, anger at the world. This shouldn't have been different. Her insipid moaning about her children should have got on his nerves. But it hadn't. He still didn't care but the usual anger was gone. He was calmer than he'd been since he became a vampire. And he wasn't sure if it was the link that Davina created or whatever draw them together in the first place.

"Would you stop? I just want you to do a spell for me." He said annoyed.

"A spell? Why? We don't do that anymore. We haven't for generations. I wouldn't know what to do."

"Well, then you will have to invite me in and I will teach you." He smirked, "The second you cast that spell, I am out of your hair and your precious children remain safe."

It was a subtle threat but it was a threat nevertheless.

"Come in, please." She said, her voice still shaking.

Kol stepped inside the house and headed for the living room while pulling out a spell from his jacket's pocket. This witch looked genuinely incompetent. Well, she still had her bloodline to drawn on and he could spare a few hours.

* * *

Inside the French Quarter, Esther sat on a high chair of the greenhouse looking out the window, bored. The body she was in was weak and teenager, with all the hormones that accompanied it. And she couldn't be seen running around the town just yet. She had to endure the superiority Genevieve had been executing since day one. She needed to get rid of her fast.

The girl had a weakness for Niklaus and that would not do. She needed witches that were easily molded into her will. That Monique girl sitting next to her taking in all the information she could from the grimoire in front of them. Now that was an easily controllable witch. She was all power-hungry like a real ancestral witch ought to be and she was angry at Genevieve for postponing the fourth girl's arrival.

A man walked in dragging Esther's attention back to the room. She recognised him as one of the witches, but he wasn't important to even enquire about his name, he was just muscle.

"Well?" Genevieve asked. The guy whispered something that Esther couldn't hear and Genevieve was clearly not happy with whatever news he delivered.

"Who?!" She asked probably louder than she wanted, it even earned Monique's attention. The man answered and it seemed to make Genevieve even angrier. She said something to him and then he walked away to where he came from.

"Is everything alright?" Esther asked in the voice of a concerned teenage girl. She couldn't wait to get into a more comfortable body.

"Nothing to worry about. I am merely making arrangement to bring Davina home to us." She said. Esther had to bite her tongue to keep herself from telling the girl off. Davina Claire was not going to join them unless it was of her own free will. The witches won't be able to make her do anything. She knew her son, Kol, would kill anyone who would try to come near the girl. That much she was certain off. Especially with that stupid spell on them that even she could not break.

"Why?" Monique jumped into the conversation. "She didn't have faith, she abused our power and we are supposed to welcome her back?"

"She is a harvest girl, Monique," Genevieve noted. Monique just bit her lip to stop an argument and went back to reading while Esther returned to her boredom.

* * *

 **A/N: Just a quick heads-up, I am working on the story, however, Easter is coming up and I am doing a bit of travel and my Beta is busy as well, so I might not be uploading as quickly :-( However, I will try my best.**


	6. Chapter 6

Kol spent all of four hours with the witch to finally get something out of her. He had been right all along. There was additional magic to the link surrounding him and subsequently Davina. The witch couldn't tell him what kind of magic it was but she said it was incredibly strong, something too strong to exist. The witch in question had to be centuries old.

Mommy dearest was the first to come to his mind. However, he knew that Esther would never allow him to come back as a vampire. She hated what they were to her core.

This was a different witch.

He got the confirmation he needed. He didn't even bother to make the witch break the spell. She would not be strong enough. Instead, he took back his spell and walked away as he promised. He wanted to be back in New Orleans as fast as possible. That bloody link was making him into a weak wuss. He was literally aching to see Davina again.

 _Welcome to the rest of your life._ He thought to himself. The link would now draw them together much more than that original spell put on them ever could. And to top all of this off, he couldn't even trust his own emotions.

That spell needed to go, even if the link was to stay forever. They both deserved to be themselves. And so Kol began to devise a plan on his drive back to Davina.

It looked like they were going to have a lot to talk about.

* * *

The second Kol stepped a foot in the church, Davina was up and waiting for him to enter the room. She could sense him as a vampire would, or at least that is what she imagined it like. It might have been the magic acting out, but she swore she could actually hear his footsteps on the wooden floor two levels below.

Kol opened the door and she literally threw herself at him like she'd done before. Kol didn't hesitate this time and he hugged her tightly. She could smell the uniqueness that was him. This close to him she could feel all of his muscles and it made her want to strip him of his shirt and trace every single of those muscles.

She cursed her body for reacting to him as she stepped away knowing fully well that Kol was aware of every reaction.

He smirked at her: "It is good to be missed."

"Where did you go?" She was still disappointed that he had disappeared on her.

"Didn't fancy talking to Marcel when he returned and I did make you a promise."

"Why do you hate Marcel so much?"

"It had always been Nik, Elijah and Rebekah." He said as he walked away to sit on the bed, "For centuries there didn't seem to be a place for anyone else. Then Marcellus came around and all of a sudden, the place was there."

His voice sounded too bitter to his own ears. All he wanted was to be accepted. Even as a human he had felt overlooked. Bekah had been the only girl in the family and even he had kept an eye out for her. Henrik had been the baby of the family and everyone adored him even more than Bekah. Kol had loved being the big brother to those two. Even as a little child he would run around with them and he had always imagined himself getting into fights for them. But by that time Nik had taken that honour, especially when it came to Rebekah. So he had tried to find something else. Something to distinguish himself and when the magic had come, he embraced it. He had been good at it and he had loved it. He had been the only one in the family. And when he came proudly to his mother, she shut him down. She had told him to never mention magic again. She had been so afraid of Mikael finding out that one of his sons had taken up woman's work.

Even after thousand years, his family hardly knew him. His own mother probably couldn't tell when he was the most happy. His family didn't even have it in them to grief him. They had probably grieved Finn, who tried to kill them, more then they had grieved him.

"I am sorry." She said as she sat down next to him and put her hand on his arm, "If it's any consolation, it appears we have more in common than the link. My father left, my mother served me up to be butchered and the man who saved me ended up using me in the end."

Of course, he remembered. Maybe he was always meant to be drawn to her and would find her with or without the magic.

He put his hand over hers on his arm and gently squeezed it. It felt like she knew what to say and how to say it. Magic be damned, he needed this.

"Did you find anything?" she asked after a while.

"There is a spell on both of us. It was there before the link and it's very strong and powerful. Ancient." he said with a sigh as he let go of her hand.

She folded both her hands in her lap: "What kind of spell? Do you know who cast it? How do we reverse it?"

"No idea, darling." He said tiredly. "The witch could just detect it."

"But we need to find out more!"

"That I agree with. However, this must stay between us only. You and I, Davina, we are in this together, the two of us. We have to figure this one on our own. If the witches find out, they would try to abuse you once more to get the originals on a leash and if Nik were to find out, he would consider you his personal witch. I won't have that."

Davina quickly nodded, obviously she didn't fancy any of the ideas either.

"I can teach you all I know, but we need to blend in. I have to come out of the shadows and we cannot be seen too much with each other. It would be too suspicious if we are to be just by ourselves." And here came the part, he knew she would hate, "I will have to go back to my family and you will have to go back to the witches."

"What?!" Davina literally jumped at that, "NO! After what they did to me?! Not to mention that they hate me!"

"I am about as thrilled as you about this, Davina. However, it needs to be done. It's just for a little while and I promise you that I will be close to you." It pained him to see her like that, "But even I only have a vague idea of what the link exactly did and what we share and what we do not. We need to know as fast as possible. The witches have enough grimoires to build a small library. That is a lot of spell and must of those spells are centuries old. Those will have something in them, information about this spell placed on us. Linking spells not that rare. We need to find have an access to those books but they won't let me anywhere near them. I promise once this is all over, I will show you the world and all it has to offer."

He hoped that would soften the blow. And in any case, they could always stop in Mystic Falls on their way around the world.

"You promise?"

"You have my word, darling." He smiled at her and let her rest her head on his shoulder.

* * *

Davina still didn't like the idea of going back but Kol seemed to think it was necessary and if it was too bad, she could just walk away.

As she and Kol said their goodbyes, he told her they wouldn't welcome her with open arms but they would accept her back. He had been right. It had been easier than she thought. Genevieve almost looked relieved when Davina walked in and she put her into magic lessons almost instantly.

However, that led to her being stuck in a greenhouse with Abigail and Monique. Her former best friend was more than angry at her and she didn't even bother to hide it.

Genevieve was teaching them how to revive plants using the tins of dried roses all around them. Abigail and Monique had absolutely no problem in flawlessly reviving the roses while Davina couldn't make the spell work at all. It almost felt like all of her magic was gone.

"Come on, Davina. It's simple." Abigail tried to encourage her, however, Monique didn't share the same sentiments.

"You are supposed to be a harvest girl but maybe you don't belong here anymore. Maybe you never did." Monique smirked and put the flower in front of Davina in the mockery of it all and walked away with Genevieve.

Monique was probably right. Davina didn't feel like she belonged here. She felt like the outsider she was. If she could, she wouldn't be here. She would be somewhere else, anywhere else … with Kol.

She looked at the rose in front of her. Why was it so difficult? It shouldn't be. She was able to bind herself and Kol together with the power she possessed. And this rose proved to be a challenge? It was ridiculous, even to her.

* * *

Esther on the other hand didn't like this interaction one bit. She needed Davina to trust her. If she was to use her power, she needed her trusting just enough to get close to her. But the girl wouldn't let anyone come near her. In fact, the second Esther tried to approach her, she took a step back.

If she wanted to channel both of the girls she needed to take Davina before she could make a move against Monique. Davina would up her guard if she took Monique first.

Her plans were complicating more and more. And she still hadn't figured out who this mysterious player was, that ruined her plans. Whoever they were, they had to go. Dahlia wouldn't come for her children. The second Niklaus' child was dead and they are all in their new bodies, Dahlia would never have any hold over her family. They would all be free.

But back to this mysterious witch. They would have to have a chat. As soon as she finds her. The cloaking spell surely wouldn't hold forever.

* * *

 **A/N: As always, let me know what you think. :-)**


	7. Chapter 7

Kol walked back into the compound. Here we go. He thought. This place didn't hold any fond memories for him. He didn't feel like going down the memory lane and he certainly didn't want to meet with his siblings. But if Davina could manage to go back to the witches, he could survive his own siblings - at least for a little while.

He needed a drink. So, he found the first surface that had bourbon on it and poured himself one. He downed the first one in a big gulp and poured himself another one. He sat down to one of the chairs and put his feet up on the table in front of him crossing his legs at the ankles. He wondered when any of them would figure out he was there.

It turned out, he didn't have to wait that long because a brunette woman stormed in mere seconds after he sat down.

"Who the hell are you?" She stopped a couple of meters away from him and crossed her arms on top of her heavily pregnant belly.

"Ah, you must be Hayley." He smirked as he looked her up and down. "My sincere apologies for Nik. He has always been an arse."

She frowned: "Thanks, I guess… Still doesn't answer my question."

"Isn't life more exciting with a little bit of mystery in your life," he continued to tease her.

"The last mystery lead to me being pregnant and linked to a psycho witch."

"Point well made, love. My name is Kol Mikaelson." He bowed his head a bit in a mockery.

"Kol?" She was still searching.

"Kol Mikaelson, the original vampire who tried to stop a bunch of idiots from unleashing hell on earth and ended up being murdered for it. Rather pointlessly I might add."

"But how can you be…"

"Not dead? I got over it." He downed his second drink.

"You got over it?" She repeated looking at him as if he grew another head.

"Yes, darling. Nice and easy. Now, why were you running in here?"

"Ah, right." she suddenly shouted, "ELIJAH!"

"Careful, love. Vampire hearing." He complained about the volume of her voice. She just ignored him waiting for his big brother. She was about to yell again when Elijah suddenly appeared by her side.

"Hayley. Is everything alright? Is the baby okay?" Elijah completely overlooked Kol. Ah, well, that was to be expected. But it still hurt.

"The baby is fine." She said dismissively, "But why didn't you tell me that you were meeting with the witches, vampires and humans? The wolves should be there as well, they deserve a voice!"

"Hayley, I am just starting the negotiations, if I can get those three to agree then we can bring in the wolves."

Hayley looked like she was about to say something when all of a sudden Kol jumped in: "Get the humans, witches and vampires to agree to any sort of peace? Good luck with that one."

Kol snorted at the silly idea and reached for another drink. He would most likely be forced to get drunk off his ass to survive this evening.

"Kol!" Elijah stared at his brother. "How…?" He wasn't even able to finish the sentence. Oh, how Kol wished he could just believe he was happy to see him and maybe even get a hug out of it. But he knew better. It would just hurt more when they would try to dispose of him again. Kol didn't dare to look at Elijah. He knew that right about now his brother appeared to care and Kol didn't trust himself to be strong enough and not fall for it. So instead, he busied himself by pouring a drink and then proceeded to down it in one big gulp.

"A witchy thing happened." He shrugged his shoulders. "My room is still there?" Without any further discussion, Kol headed up to his old room.

"Elijah! We need to talk about…!"

"Not now, Hayley. We will talk, I promise. But not now." He heard Elijah stop Hayley and then the footsteps on the wooden stairs.

"A witch thing happened?" Elijah asked standing in the doorway of Kol's room. "Care to elaborate?"

"Not particularly." Yeah, because he wanted Elijah to know about Davina. Pff! He used her as well as the rest of them. And Klaus would know about it five seconds after Elijah.

"Kol." He felt Elijah's hand on his shoulder, his voice soft, nothing more than a whisper. "You are really back."

Kol didn't turn around, no matter how much he wanted to. Elijah said that chasing Nik's redemption was an affliction of his. Well, Kol had one as well. Even after all that was done, he still wanted to be part of this family. It was a weakness he needed to control. Davina would never be part of this family even if, by some miracle, he was accepted as he wanted to be. She was forced to stay by his side and that meant that she would be the outsider tolerated only while useful. He knew how that was. Nik would wake him up for a couple of days because he didn't have a playmate and then put him back in a box after he got tired. Whether it was the spell affecting him or not, Davina was not falling victim to that.

"Yeah, I am back." He moved away from Elijah and threw himself at his bed bouncing at the mattress a bit, "And I would like to be alone."

"You just got back, surely you can't expect me to …"

"Oh, cut it out, Elijah. We don't need a teary eye. I am back. We had the required five minutes and now we can go back to the not giving a crap."

"Kol!"

"Come now, brother! I was dead, not bloody blind. Couldn't even mourn me a day. Any of you. So, let's skip the pretending." Kol knew that Elijah actually did grief. He even cried, which Kol had never seen him do. Katarina was there with him. She held him that night and then she would later kill Jeremy Gilbert. Now that girl he liked. She was probably the only one of Elijah's lovers he could actually stomach. She was good for him and Elijah should have tried harder to keep her. As unbelievable as it was, that girl actually genuinely cared about him.

"Kol, I …"

"Just leave me alone, brother. You have a pregnant girl to get back to. I am sure you can find your way out." After all, Kol needed time to plan everything. He heard Elijah leave the room, then stop in the doorway, hover there for a bit and then close the door with a soft sigh. Kol couldn't think about any of his family's drama at that moment. He had to plan everything.

He would be able to help Davina with learning witchcraft but she would have to snoop on her own. He could cause a distraction but he would risk being stuck in a box again and god knows what that would do to Davina. She would most likely fell as well and everyone would know about the bloody link. Which is what he wanted to avoid by all of this sneaking around.

He would need mother's spell book to help Davina. She was a Claire witch, they could use that tomb, but maybe that would be too close to the witches for her liking. Maybe he would just find a different place.

However, he needed his brothers off his back. They would hover even more now that he was miraculously back from the dead and the second they had a talk with Rebekah or Marcel, they would know what witch did the deed. Rebekah had to leave town, it would appear. She would be out of the way. Marcel was banished from the French Quarter, so Kol didn't have to worry about him all that much either. The major issues were Elijah and Nik. He didn't really know how to distract Nik, but he knew the perfect distraction for Elijah.

In fact, he could probably fish out her number in Elijah's phone. All he needed was to get her here and the rest would take care of itself.

* * *

Davina was still nowhere near doing anything with the spell. The dead rose looked exactly as it did before. And Monique left for a bit, to talk to the ancestors or something. Davina couldn't care less about that. The girl she once knew as her best friend, the person she shared all her secrets with was replaced by this menace. This Monique cared about nothing and no one, all she wanted was power. She made it very clear to Davina that the only reason she was allowed in was to make them more powerful.

Davina hung to the idea of this being temporary and once she got the information about whoever and whatever it was that was messing with her and Kol, she would be gone. And Kol would take her to see the world. And she would finally be free.

"Davina?" Abigail approached her slowly.

"Yeah?" There was something about Abigail that didn't seem right. Like her senses were picking up something, they shouldn't be able to and her brain didn't know how to process it.

"I am glad you are back here with us." She smiled at her as she moved closer.

Davina instinctively retreated back slightly: "Nice to know that at least someone thinks so."

"I wouldn't worry about Monique too much. She is just trying to make us a strong community, to make sure we are protected. That's all. She is just going at it a bit wrong. I am sure she will come around."

"Hmm." Davina didn't know what Abigail wanted her to say. She didn't care about power and she didn't care about the war that the whole of supernatural New Orleans seemed to be in. Even though Abigail didn't say it, it was obvious that she knew just as well as Davina that Monique was on a power trip and acted like she was almighty.

"You should just relax and try to revive that rose again. It really is an easy spell. And Monique isn't breathing down your neck right now." Abigail winked at her and then moved to one of the cabinets with spell ingredients, moving stuff around.

Davina sighed as she looked at the rose in front of her. She really felt like all of her magic was gone. Like if she couldn't connect to it anymore. It made her unnerved and confused and a little worried. She knew she was a witch. It was in her blood. She was one before the harvest, she was one during the harvest, and she was one while she was dead. However, since she was back, the only spell she was able to do was in her head. She wasn't even sure if that counted.

How was she supposed to be this new and strong person that she promised herself to be if she couldn't even tap into her magic anymore?

* * *

 **A/N: Another chapter! Sorry, I slowed down a bit in uploading but my exams are coming up and I have a bunch of school projects to finish :-(**

 **As ever, leave a comment please :-)**


	8. Chapter 8

Stealing his brother's phone turned out to be easier than he had anticipated. Elijah was too busy planning a party or something. And Kol had managed to avoid Nik for the past three hours. Apparently his brother had some important business to attend to, as per usual.

He quickly dialled Elena Gilbert and waited for her to pick up.

"Hello? Elijah?"

"Not exactly, love." He wanted Elena Gilbert dead and he needed Katarina to distract Elijah. It was perfect. He would get his revenge after all and keep Elijah busy.

"Kol." He heard her gasp.

"Yep, I am back from the dead." He chuckled.

"I…"

"Oh, not to fret. I know it's you, Katarina. I have a proposal for you."

"How did you …?"

"Know? I was on the other side."

"Look, even if I wanted to help you, which I do not, I have more important things on my mind."

"And here I thought you cared about my brother." This was supposed to be easy.

"Yeah, well, unless you have a vial of Klaus' blood as part of the deal, I am not interested." Hmm, did the poor thing got bit? Well, he supposed he could get the needed blood needed. He would just get bitten by some mutt and suffer a bit or maybe even talk his brother into it.

"What if I told you there was?"

"What exactly do you want me to do?" Ah, now he had her attention.

"Just be your charming self, get here, and charm my brother's pants off. And for the love of God, do not let me watch!"

She laughed at that: "And I will get Klaus' blood?"

"You have my word."

"There is one more thing."

"Good gracious, woman! You really are a high maintenance!"

"Yes, well." She knew that and wasn't going to apologise, "I don't really care about whatever is it you are planning, however, I am in the body of one Elena Gilbert and her insufferable friends want her back and me dead. I need to fix that. I won't be of any use to you otherwise."

"Hmm... I will think of something once you get here. For now, hurry up."

"Have that vial ready." With that, she hung up.

He left Elijah's phone on the table and when to find Nik. Now, this was going to be a conversation he was not anticipating.

Klaus was on his phone, texting someone. Kol knew that look. He was scheming something, something on his own. That was why he was locked up in his room.

"Hello, brother. Not even a greeting?" Kol smirked as he leaned against the doorway.

Klaus looked up from his phone and his eyes found Kol's. He abruptly appeared right in front of Kol.

"When Rebekah told me, I thought she wanted to buy herself more time and when Elijah said he saw you, I started to believe." Klaus' eye still looking doubtful with wonder.

"And yet, you hide here instead of finding me." Kol silently congratulated himself for not sounding bitter.

"You told off Elijah." Klaus shrugged his shoulder, "I figured you would have probably done worse to me."

"Why, Nik?" Kol asked and moved away from his brother, suddenly more interested in the books laying around on the table Klaus had been sitting behind a minute ago, "Because you mourned me all of five minutes and your vengeance plans lasted about as long as well?"

"I did try to avenge you."

"Really? Then, please, tell me why those idiots in Mystic Falls that managed to kill not one but two of your brothers are still alive?" Klaus didn't have an answer for that. How could he? After all, those young idiots shouldn't have stand a chance. They also shouldn't have been able to kill him.

"See, I may have been dead but I am not out of the loop, brother." Kol snatched Klaus' phone before he could stop him and read the text message that flashed on the display.

I have the moonstones. Is your witch ready?

"Now, Nik. Right behind Elijah's nose. What would he say about that?"

"It's none of your business, Kol." Klaus snapped at him and took the phone back. "Leave it alone."

"Why should I? You know how easily I get bored. And watching you and Elijah fight just might be entertaining." Kol knew he had to work his brother very carefully, or he would be suspicious. However, he always knew what buttons to push to piss off his brother and also what to do to get his own around him. He had to when he wanted to survive in the Mikaelson family.

"What do you want, Kol?" Klaus hissed, "I could always just dagger you."

"And Elijah was surprised I wasn't feeling like chatting with you lot." Kol's fingers dug into the binding of a book he was holding. He tried to calm himself. Pushing Nik right now would not get him what he wanted.

"Kol!"

"Fine!" He put the book down, "I feel like having a stall through the bayou, but I don't particularly feel like running into a wolf. Just give me some of your blood and I will be out of your hair."

"It's not the full moon." Nik's paranoia fully switched on.

"Yes, and I thought a baby vampire and a teenager that butchers baseball could not kill me."

"Fine." Klaus shrugged his shoulders, the he rolled the sleeve on his left arm, "Have at it then."

Kol raised his eyebrows. Did he truly expect him to drink from the vein? Nik knew how intimate that was.

"Oh, fine." Klaus turned around and found a cup. Then he bit his wrist and bled into it.

"There. Now, I have stuff to do." Klaus said as he handed him the cup. Kol didn't need to be told twice. He took the cup and headed to his room where he carefully stored the blood in a vial.

Elijah would be distracted and now only Nik remained but he was distracted all by himself. Kol didn't even realise how much he missed all the sneaking around and planning. Even though he didn't trust any part of his family, he knew he was going overboard. He needed to keep his brothers away from Davina and he needed to make sure they didn't know the truth, but he didn't need Elijah that preoccupied with Katherine. He didn't need a plan to occupy Klaus either. But he couldn't stop himself.

Maybe he really was that petty that he wanted to put his brothers through some difficulties. After all the crap, he felt like he deserved to make them all suffer just a bit.

He looked around his room. It felt positively alien to him. Everything was cold and as ever with all the pictures, books and other staff that Marcel obviously didn't dispose of, the room didn't feel like his. It was just a place. Not a home. It has never been home for Kol. None of this. But since Nik declared it home, they all followed suit.

He needed to get away. He couldn't stand those walls. All those bitter reminders, everyone but him found happiness here. And he was left to be the odd one out, again. He put the vial in his pocket and he walked out. His feet carried him to the attic without even thinking twice about it. If nothing else, it would be peaceful.

* * *

Davina was sitting on the floor of the attic drawing a gigantic scenery when she felt him enter the church. That link really was weird and the more she felt it the more she was convinced they needed to find out what exactly did it entailed.

"Hi." She smiled at him but didn't run to hug him like last time. Instead, she waited for him to hug her.

"Hello, darling. How was your day?" He smiled still resting against the doorframe.

"Awful." She said as she put her charcoal down.

"What do you mean, Davina?" He moved from the doorframe closer to her resting his jacket on the sofa and sitting next to her.

"Monique is being a total bitch, Abigail is giving me the creeps and Genevieve seems like a psycho. And to top it all off, my magic is gone. I haven't been able to do anything other than the linking spell. So, I need you to switch on your witchy Wikipedia brain and tell me what's wrong."

He looked at her, studied the dark circles under her eyes and the half empty cup of coffee next to her: "Well, here is a little something I have learned from the ancient legends of the Romany psychics: Sleep, Davina. If you stress yourself too much, you will only end up blocking your magic. Have some rest and it will be better."

"Sleep? That is what you are going to fix this with?" She asked unconvinced.

"It's the easiest solution. Not the only solution." He took her hand in his, "You are going to be just fine. All you need to do is calm down and rest."

She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed: "What about you? How was your day?"

"Awful." He chuckled as he repeated her words.

"What happened?" She gently squeezed his hand.

"I had to play nice with my siblings and then started to work on something to keep them busy. I might have gone a bit overboard on that one."

"What did you do?" Davina straightened from her position and looked him in the eye.

"Nothing too terrible, darling. Just a little something to steer up the drama." Davina watched him for a few seconds before she laid her head on his shoulder again.

"I suppose, I wouldn't try to find out too much detail."

He just smiled caressing the back of her hand with his thumb. That was when he finally saw Davina's drawing. He knew, she was an artist but he didn't know just how good she was. A couple more years and she could rival Nik. The sketch in from of him was beautiful, the details of the cottage were stunning and the trees were precise. It was incredibly realistic and spectacular.

Then his mind finally connected the dots. He froze and stare at the sketch in from top them. Davina felt him freeze and lifted her head from his shoulder, looking at him with an unspoken question. But he wasn't looking at her, he was looking at the sketch as if he became hypnotised.

"Where did you see this?"

"I don't know. A dream, probably." She shrugged her shoulders.

"You couldn't. You shouldn't have been able to." She couldn't place the tone of his voice but it was making her uneasy.

"It's just a sketch, Kol."

Kol looked at her a serious look on his face: "That's just it, love. It is not just a sketch. That cottage was real once upon a time. It's not something your mind conjured up in a dream. I should know. I grow up in it a thousand years ago."

Davina looked at the sketch again and it felt like she had never seen it before. It was new all of a sudden. She just drew a sketch of something she shouldn't have been able to describe.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you everyone for the kind words and I am really glad you like this story. Hope this one was a good one as well. :-)**


	9. Chapter 9

"But how could I?" Davina asked slowly, not fully believing what she saw.

"I don't know." He was completely shocked. But he had a bit of an inkling. She might have slipped into his mind by accident when she was finishing the link. Or, much worse, their memories were to be shared. All of his secrets and all of his demons, all of that bloodshed, all of thousand years would be laid bare in from of her. He really didn't like that idea.

He stood up and reached for his coat.

"Kol, where are you going?" She asked with a small voice.

"I … I just …" He needed to take a walk and he needed to put some distance between them. However impossible that was. But one look at her and he changed his mind. She looked so lost and scared.

He put his jacket back on the sofa and walked back to her.

"I don't know what is wrong with me." She mumbled as he pulled her into a hug. "I can't even trust my own emotions. How much of it is really me and how much is that stupid spell? And who could have that much power to do this? Not to mention that not even you know what exactly that linking spell did."

"I know, I don't like any of this either. You are not the only one asking all those questions." He sighed, "We know next to nothing and I don't trust any of the New Orleans fractions to help us. But I am sure that between the two of us, we will figure it out. In the mean time, you need to sleep."

He picked her up and carried her to her bed. He really hoped she wasn't about to dream some of his worst memories. He stayed by her side until she fell asleep and was about to leave when he abruptly changed his mind. He would't mind a bit of sleep himself and the bed was big enough to fit them both. Besides it would be safer for her – just in case some of his memories hit her in her sleep.

He laid down next to her and was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

* * *

Kol woke up with an unsettling sensation on his neck. Like somebody slit his throat while he slept. He ran his hand over his throat looking for dried blood but found none. He looked over at Davina who was still sleeping soundly.

It didn't make any sense. He would swear there was knife put to his neck. A woman, he remembered a woman that he had never seen before. Her brown hair soaked by the rain. Rain! There was so much rain and wind! But how would that be, the sky was clear, he could see that from the bed. The woman, she had a knife. What was it she said?

"Do you believe in the harvest?" She asked her voice void of any emotion.

"Yes, I believe." He answered. But that didn't seem right. It couldn't have been him.

At that the woman raised the knife and cut his throat open. He didn't fight it, he just let the blood flow and wash away by the rain.

That was when it finally clicked in his head. He was witnessing Davina's memories. The memory of her death to be exact. He shuddered at the overflow of emotions that hit him. He clenched his fists until it hurt to calm them. All of that hurt, betrayal, loneliness and fear. She put up a strong front but inside, she was slowly breaking apart, like an ancient masterpiece. And he now knew how much.

It looked like they had more and more in common. He looked back down on her and was about to lay back down when his phone started buzzing.

He quickly picked it up making sure he didn't wake her, but Davina just rolled over to the other side and continued to sleep. She must have been really tired.

"Yes," He answered with a whisper.

"Where are you?" The voice of one Katherine Pierce came through.

"I will come to you." He answered not even bothering to ask how she got his number. Katherine Pierce always had her ways.

"Fine, Hilton. Hurry up!" She hung up. He didn't remember her being this snappy. Probably the werewolf poison.

He got up and took his jacket on the way out. He took one more look at Davina and then he was out.

He found Katherine very easily. Once at the hotel, she compelled the clerk to send him straight to her room and otherwise forget she was even there. Clever girl!

She opened the door before he could even knock.

"Finally! What took you so long?" He looked her up and down. She looked absolutely healthy, she should have been hallucinating and sweating. Instead, she was her immaculate self if only a bit more stressed than he remembered.

"You don't look like…"

"The blood! Give it to me!" She demanded fear and desperation in her eyes. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the vial. She quickly took it and ran to the other room of the suit. He followed quite intrigued.

Katherine Pierce didn't care about anyone as much as herself. And here she was hell bent on saving whoever this was.

He found Katherine holding a slender, young girl with brown locks as she helped her drink the blood. Now, that girl was definitely suffering from a werewolf bite.

"There, Nadia. You are going to be just fine now." Katherine lower the girl gently back onto the bed. She showed this Nadia person more kindness then he saw her show all put together towards anyone since they knew each other.

"Are you going to introduce us, darling?" He asked looking at the scene in front of him with even more curiosity than before.

Katherine looked up from Nadia: "Nadia, this is Kol Mikaelson. Kol, this is Nadia, my daughter."

His smirked slipped from his face as he looked at her. That was certainly not what he expected.

"Your daughter?"

"Yes, as you can see she had a bit of an accident." Katherine answered raising from the bed and staring Kol in the eyes with a defiant look in her eyes.

"You might consider introducing Elijah to her, if you want him to believe Katerina is still in there somewhere." He then looked over her shoulder at Nadia. "Nice to meet you, love."

"Wait," She stopped him, "Why do you really want me here?"

"I thought you didn't care." He smirked, his back still turned to her.

"I am not stupid, Kol. Your whole family hates me." She answered, the typical Katherine tone back in her voice.

"Do you remember the night I died?" He asked and slowly turned to her.

"Vividly." She answered and her eyes met his.

"That's why." He held her gaze letting the sentence sink in. He didn't have to tell her. She knew he was talking about the way his brother broke down. He might have still protected Elena Gilbert for some stupid reason and he might not have look for a way to bring him back, but that night Kol saw his brother in a whole new light. Even if it lasted only a night.

"He thinks he has to be everyone's shoulder and for that, pretending to rarely feel is the easiest way to achieve it." She said slowing, still watching him, "That doesn't mean he feels any less."

Kol nodded his head at her and walked away, not really willing to let her see the emotions in his eyes. Maybe, just maybe, he might be able to put the whole family together. And maybe, just maybe, this time around there would be a place for him there. After all, every little girl needed a cool uncle and Elijah definitely wasn't going to cut it.

* * *

Davina slept restfully, in fact she had no nightmares. However, when she woke up, she was alone. Somehow, she knew he would not be with her. He did have a habit of leaving.

She got up and prepared for another day of useless spells.

She walked all the way to the cemetery with her head down, wishing she could just skip through the day. She was just passing one of the tombs. That was when she heard Monique talking to Genevieve.

"You said we would be stronger and look at us. Davina can't manage a simple spell! How are we to stand up to everyone? We need more power!" Monique pressed.

"Don't be stupid, Davina will recover and do what I ask of her. She has no one but the witches. She will comply. I will make sure of it." Genevieve answered as they continued to walk down the path.

Great, another thing to worry about. But at least Genevieve was wrong when she said Davina had no one but the witches.

Now that those two were gone, she could have a look through the grimoires. Davina hurried towards the greenhouse and was relieved when it indeed was vacant. She ran towards the bookshelves and pulled out a random book quickly scanning the pages looking for anything on binding or linking spells. When she didn't find anything she pulled out another one.

She was about to start with the third one when she heard voices approaching. She quickly sat herself behind a table next to the same stupid rose she still didn't manage to revive.

"We should act quickly, mother." She heard a male's voice that she couldn't quite place.

"We have to be careful about this, Finn." Now that voice she knew. Abigail, "We already lost Kol to Davina. If I am to use her, Kol will fall as well and his brothers will know something is amiss. All the pieces have to be in place before that happens."

"But Dahlia..."

"My sister will not touch any of you! I will kill the baby myself!"

Davina sucked in a breath. She was talking to Finn and was talking about Kol. Esther Mikaelson, Kol's mother, was possessing Abigail's body. And she was trying to put some sort of plan in place. She needed to tell Kol. Now.

Davina quietly slipped out the back door right when the two entered the greenhouse. She needed to find Kol. Probably best to start in the compound.

* * *

 **A/N: Another update! I know it took a bit longer. Sorry.**

 **A/N2: Made a trailer if anyone is interested: link is in my profile** **:-)**

 **Also I am currently looking for Beta? Anyone interested?**


	10. Chapter 10

Kol was just putting on his shirt when he heard someone open his door and slip in. He quickly turned around and came face to face with Davina.

"Hello, darling. What a surprise." He could see her eyes travelling down his shirtless body with heat in her gaze.

"I ... I didn't know you were changing." She stuttered.

"Yes, well. Elijah is hosting a party." He snickered like it was funny to imagine his brother throwing a party. Since it was Elijah, it probably was.

"I hope you are not going in that." He mentioned to her jeans and a plain t-shirt.

"I am not invited. I didn't even know it was happening." She shook her head.

"You are a harvest girl, of course you are invited." He smirked at her and walked closer, "You are going."

"We don't have time for this, Kol. And I have nothing to wear anyways."

"All serious and sacrifices, do you lot even know how to have fun?" He rolled his eyes. "And I am sure some of Bekah's stuff will fit you."

"But we..." She started.

"Nope, not listening. We have all of tomorrow to worry."

She sighed and let him drag her to another room in the mansion. There were some many people already running around that they were completely unobserved. The room he led her to had definitely belonged to Rebekah. It had obviously been build for a princess and ...

Before she really had time to look around, Kol was standing in front of her with a beautiful beige dress that was definitely too long for her.

She looked at him as if he went mad. She couldn't even say anything and he handed her the dress and added: "The party is already starting and if we hurry up, you get to see Elijah freaking out!"

"What did you do?" She asked as he quickly moved to exit the room.

"Nothing too drastic!" He shouted from the steps.

She looked at the dress and thanked God that she put on her flats instead of sneakers that morning.

* * *

Kol came down the stairs even though all of his instincts were telling him to stay with Davina, to stay and watch her undress.

He looked around and had to admit that his brother actually knew how to throw a party. There was a bar with enough alcohol to get all of New Orleans drunk, the music didn't sound like a somebody was murdering a decent melody and wasn't something you would fall asleep to either. The lighting was decent as well. This could actually turn out to be quite alright.

"Brother," Kol turned around to see Elijah approaching him.

"I have to give it to you, Elijah. Not bad."

Elijah looked him up and down: "Why do I have a feeling you are planning something?"

"Why would I have to plan something?"

"Because you have a terrible attention span when you are not planning anything." Elijah half smiled, "I just ask of you not to do anything tonight. This is for our niece. She needs a safe place."

"Then I would highly recommend moving, brother. Whatever truce you might manage to create tonight, it will not be forever. This city will always be at war." Kol started moving away when Elijah caught his arm.

"Promise me you aren't starting anything tonight."

"You have my word." Kol looked over Elijah's shoulder and smirked, his eyes were still on the two ladies that just arrived "But I would be more worried about what you will do."

Elijah turned around and it was no hardship for him to find Katherine in the crowd. She looked impeccable in a short black dress, looking around like she owned the party with a slightly taller woman by her side.

Elijah let go of Kol's arm. Kol could see that his brother was out of his dept. He almost felt bad for him. But at least of today, he won't be the troublemaker.

He just needed to find Davina. Maybe have a dance. That wouldn't hurt. He looked around but he couldn't find her anywhere. He left her enough time to change, so he knew she should be somewhere within the crowd.

He walked through all the people looking for her. Passing all the fractions, witches, vampires, humans and he even got a glimpse of the pregnant girl with the wolves. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Elijah talking to Katherine and Nadia. He managed to find Davina leaning against a wall. He knew she was barely seventeen but at that moment she looked magnificent. Spell or no spell, he knew when to appreciate beauty.

He headed her way and was going to say something really cocky. Parties like this were his element and he more than anything wanted to get back to the life he had before the bloody Gilberts. However, when he got closer, he noticed the lost look in her eyes. So, he opted for something else.

"What does it take to get a dance with the most beautiful girl in this room?"

She looked up at him and he silently congratulated himself as her eyes lighted up and she smiled at him. She opened her eyes to say something to him when a girl appeared right next to her and cut Davina of before she could.

"That smile is enough. I love this song." She extended her hand towards Kol and moved her dark curls in a flirty way. Kol looked at her and couldn't place her but he could tell that she was a witch. And Davina seemed to know the girl as her smile slipped of her face as she looked at the girl. The girl in return looked smugly at Davina before she returned her attention back to him.

Oh, she was not the only one here who could play that game. He smirked: "I am sorry, darling. I am not talking to you, am I?"

Her smug smirk dropped along with her hand.

"Shall we, love?" He asked as he outstretched his hand to Davina. Her smile was back in place and brighter than before. She took his hand leaving the girl behind.

* * *

For some reason, Davina felt like an innocent little girl around Kol. The one that she used to be before all of this madness, before the vampires and witches, before all the sacrifices, before her world crumbled into pieces. Pieces that she was still putting together.

"I said we were having fun tonight, darling. I don't know about you, but sulking in the corner is not fun in my books."

"Yeah, well, I don't really belong here and I look ridiculous in this dress. It way too long for me." She complained. She was actually afraid she would step on them and tear them.

"Easily fixed." He suddenly moved his hand from her hip to her back and pushed her close to his body eradicating any space between them and levelling their heights. She let out a gasp of surprise and looked around but no one was paying them any attention.

Kol continued to dance around the room with her in his arms while she struggled to keep her shoes on as her feet were in the air.

"Come down, that frown has to go, love. We have decent music, open bar and Elijah will start a scene soon most likely." He snickered.

"Kol! What did you do?" She really didn't need ages to know that whatever trouble was brewing, Kol was involved somehow.

"You wound me, love. Why would I have anything to do with Elijah's problems?"

She gave him a pointy look.

"I just played a little match maker. I would think my brother would be happy to see Katerina." He shrugged.

"Why do you have to steer trouble?" They had enough on their plates already.

"Drama is always going to be here, darling. There is always going to be someone out to get you. You cannot stop living because of it." He said seriously.

"Plus it's fun." He added with a wide smile. But she could see that he was just trying to mask it all. He cared too much so he pretended he didn't care at all.

"WHAT THE HELL IS SHE DOING HERE?!"

The music stopped, all heads turned to Klaus who was storming thought the crowd towards a brunette woman that Davina didn't recognise. Elijah was standing between her and Klaus and for the first time she actually saw him bare his fangs. Whoever this woman was, she must have meant a lot to him.

"I came to see Elijah." She said bravely not backing down and not intimidated by Klaus in the slightest. That was the type of a person Davina wanted to be. She watched her closely, interested in what she would do now.

"Well, then I hope you have prepared for the consequences!" Klaus hissed and tried to get his hands on her, however Elijah's hand stopped him. The woman didn't even blink at that.

"You were supposed to be dead!" Klaus continued to glare at her.

"Ah, yes. Well, I am Katherine Pierce. I survive." The woman spoke confidently as she looked down on Klaus and his temper outburst.

"Doesn't matter, I will…"

"Do not even think about it, Niklaus!" Elijah pushed Klaus away from her.

"I thought you broke it off with her! Are you so foolish to think she won't use you again, brother?!"

"I have no illusions, brother, however that girl next to her had been searching for her family for five hundred years. I won't let you take it away from her?" Elijah collected himself again.

"What are you babbling on about?"

"And here it comes." Kol whispered in her ear.

"That girl here is Katerina's daughter." Klaus was not the only one that was shocked. It looked like a lot of the people knew who this Katherine Pierce person was. And Davina could see how she would leave an impression on a person.

"Then my condolences."

"This is a peace meeting, Niklaus. Do not make a spectacle of yourself!" Oh, Elijah was getting angry, "You've already taken five hundred years from them both, don't you think she paid for her sins?"

"Aren't you going to help him?" She whispered to Kol as she watched Klaus getting more and more angry.

"Which one?"

She looked at him like he went mad. Elijah, of course.

"Fine. Wait here." He sighed dramatically, "If I fall tonight though, promise me you will carry me in your heart forever."

"Stop messing around and help him before they start a war here." But inside she was laughing at his antics.

Kol winked at her and walked towards the scene: "You know, brother, this could have waited a bit longer. I was quite enjoying myself. And that is a surprise, considering who was throwing this party."

"Did you know about this? Did you plan this behind my back? Is that why you wanted my blood?" Klaus turned his anger at Kol. Davina watched, something in her was telling her it wasn't the first time Kol was getting accused of doing something, like it was expected. She might have been right to accuse him a few minutes ago, but she promised herself right there that she won't do to him what his brothers seemed to do regularly.

"Yes, Nik. I just came back from the dead and the only thing I want to do is conspire against you. This might come as a surprise to you, but not everything revolves around you."

"Oh really?! Why are you here, Katerina?!" He turned his head to her suddenly.

"My daughter wanted to get to know me. Sue me if I want her to see the best version of me, the one I used to be with your brother."

"And risking your life in the process?" He noted sarcastically.

"Ask me that once _your_ daughter is born." She answered. Davina's breath hitched. Katherine actually called out Klaus and brought his child into it?

Klaus was about to explode when Elijah took the two steps between them, put his hand around his neck like he was readying to break it but instead he pulled him into a hug of some sorts. She could see Elijah's lips moving but she couldn't hear him and by the looks on other peoples' faces, they couldn't either.

When Elijah let Klaus go, he was calm again. Whatever Elijah told him must have worked. Klaus walked towards one of the waiters and took a champagne flute from their tray.

"Nadia, Katarina, welcome in New Orleans." He rose his glass to them with a smile but Davina could see it was fake.

As if awaken from a trance, the music started again and people went about their business. Davina walked towards Kol just in time to catch Klaus starting a much more quite argument then the one that just transpired.

"If I find out you had something to do with this…" Klaus warned.

"You will do what exactly, brother? Dagger me? Kill me? Been there, done that." Kol just shrugged his shoulders, "Now, if you will excuse me, I was busy before you ruined the good mood."

With that Kol walked one to Davina took her hand and walked her back over to the dance floor. Davina let him enjoy the evening knowing there was a difficult talk to come at the end of the evening. How do you tell someone their mother is back from the dead and planning something evil?

* * *

 **A/N: A gigantic thank you to my beta, KOrigianal Addict for the help with this story! I hope you like it, let me know what you think. :-)**


	11. Chapter 11

Davina enjoyed dancing with Kol even had a glass of champagne for the first time in her life. After the scene Klaus threw, everything settled down, there were no more fight. She supposed that the fractions decided that if Elijah and Klaus could behave, so could they. At least of that one evening.

Kol took her home when she started to fall asleep. He brought her back to the church attic and she finally was able to speak to him. He did say that they will talk the next day, after party. And it was the next day, after party.

"We really need to talk, Kol."

"What is so important?"

"Esther." She said softy.

Kol froze and then turned to look at her: "What did you say?"

"Esther. I heard her, she is here."

"Where?" He griped her by the shoulders a bit too tight for her comfort, "Where is she?"

"She is possessing Abigail's body. I heard her talking to some guy, she called him Finn. They were at the cemetery when I went snooping. She wants to do something to me. She is planning something."

"And you are telling me now?!" He growled as he pushed her away from him. Like he was afraid, he would hurt her.

"You were the one who wanted to have fun." She mocked the last word as she hissed at him. How can he make this her fault?!

"You should have told me!"

"I tried, you idiot! Or is your memory so bad in your advanced age?!"

"Advanced age?" He vamped right in front of her stepping into her personal space and making her jump. "Then why is it that your heart beats faster around me? We both know that's not fear."

How dare he?! She pushed him away with her magic knowing that her human strength wouldn't move him, not even an inch. If she wasn't so angry, she would probably spend more time thinking about the fact that her magic was back. Then again it probably never left, she was just too scared to use it. And anger was all she needed to forget whatever was holding her back.

Before he could do anything she started to boil his blood. It was a spell she perfected a long time ago. Kol fell to his knees.

"What are you doing?" He looked up at her.

"Boiling your blood." She didn't remember magic ever giving her such a head-rush. She felt really lightheaded.

"Davina…" He started but she quickly interrupted him.

"Stop! You do not have any right to talk to me like that! To treat me like that! I have been used and abused enough and you will not even have the chance to…"

"Davina, you need to stop! Now!" He struggled to say.

"You don't tell me what to do!" She hissed, but she could barely stand. She didn't know what was wrong. She was shaking, her vision was blurry and she would swear that the temperature skyrocketed.

"You are hurting yourself, you need… to stop." He gasped out. It finally all clicked in her head, but it was too late. Her world was consumed by darkness and she lost sense of everything around her.

* * *

Kol could only watch as she fell to the ground with a loud thud. The spell she placed on him broke the second she hit the ground. Another second and he was picking her up and carrying her to the bed.

He checked for any injuries. Her skin was hot, as if she was running a fever and her heart beat was a bit too erratic to his liking, but other than that, there was nothing wrong with her. She just fainted.

All this, because she made him suffer for acting like the idiot he was. The spell she directed at him affected her as well though the link. It wouldn't kill him, but it most definitely could do a lot of harm to her. It was just pure luck, that even though she felt some of it, it wasn't the full force that hit him.

He needed to cool her down. Kol ran out of the attic and out to the grocery store next to the church to get a bag of ice. Finding a bowl in the attic wasn't so hard as there were more than few art supplies laying around.

He ended up using his shirt as a wet cloth to cool Davina down as we did want to spend unnecessary time trying to find a clean peace of fabric. Her skin was still too hot to his liking but she was slowly cooling down.

It took a good long while before she started to wake up.

"Kol?" she asked, he voice still weak.

"Welcome back, darling." Kol was no stranger to women but he couldn't remember when he was this gentle with one.

"I…my head hurts."

"You are still too warm. Here." He pressed the newly wetted shirt to the back of her neck.

"Did you know this would happen?" She asked.

"I thought it might be a possibility but, honestly, no."

"I am sorry I hurt you."

"You hurt yourself more than you hurt me." He sighed tiredly, "Either way, this should not have happened."

"Hmm." He watched her close her eyes for a moment and enjoyed the cold cloth.

"Mother dearest back from the dead is not good at all. Something has to be done."

"She said that she can't take me down without you falling as well. I think she knows I am linked to you. She said she has to wait, that she is not ready to use me somehow."

"You have my word she won't get close enough to you to harm you."

"She said she will kill the baby herself." Kill the baby? That could mean only one thing. Esther came for Klaus' unborn child. Now, he knew nothing of the wolf carrying the child and there was no love lost between him and Klaus but it was still his niece. She was about the only Mikaelson that he didn't have a grunge against. The only one that was still innocent in this family. The child was already dealt a crappy hand as it was.

"Did they said anything else? I need you to focus and remember as much as you possibly can."

She closed her eyes to focus: "I think they mentioned a name. Finn seemed scared of her. I just can't remember."

"Can you recall anything else?" He urged her.

"I think the name started with a B or maybe a D?" she looked like she was getting more frustrated with her memory than Kol was.

"Please, darling. We need to know."

"You think it's Klaus' child, don't you?" She asked suddenly surprised he made that connection. In her head it could have been a random child but Kol knew better.

"I don't know how much you know about our mother, but last time she pretended want to be a family only to conspire to kill us all. According to my brother, when that didn't work she jumped into my sister's body and…"

"That's it!" She interrupted him suddenly. "I don't remember the name, but Esther referred to her as her sister. This person, that Finn was so scared of, she is your aunt."

* * *

Somewhere far far away, a woman woke up from her slumber. She stretched and stood up carefully. Her legs were a bit weak but that is to be expected when you don't use them for a hundred years.

That feeling would soon fade and then she can go find that ungrateful niece of hers. She gave her everything! A bed to sleep in, clothes to keep her warm, food to keep her sated. She taught her magic, she gave her power, together they were so strong.

And yet, all that ungrateful child did was cry about her momma!

To think she even forgave her for killing a child that rightfully belonged to her! Well, she will have to teach her. Just because she allowed her the same one year a century didn't mean she couldn't take that away. Keep her asleep for all time. That would solve her problems. That would ensure the stupid girl won't betray her again.

As her power awoke fully, her limbs stopped shaking but she also felt something else. A child. Another Mikaelson. A new generation. Did her niece manage to conceive another child? No, she would have felt that. No, this child was conceived while they were both sleeping. It didn't matter how this child was conceived, but one of Esther's monsters was to give her a new child to her coven.

She would just need to go to…

She searched for the source of the power. Nothing. She could feel it, however she could not locate it. Just like she could not locate her disgraced niece.

She growled in frustration.

She has to seek another way. But first, she needs to acquaint herself with this century.

* * *

Somewhere in New Orleans Freya opened her eyes. She could already feel Dahlia searching for her. It was a miracle her cloaking spells still worked.

She expected to wake up and finally meet her family. The way she wanted it. Plan every single detail and then have her perfect meeting. Her five minutes of happiness.

That was not going to happen. She knew that now. With Klaus' child on the way, there would be no hiding from Dahlia anymore. The second that child took it's first breathe, Dahlia will be able to find it. And once she has that child, she has enough power to track her down wherever she goes.

She would not let another child share the same fate as her. Esther's plan to kill the child might have worked but she made that choice for her child and she regretted it to this day.

No. Dahlia needs to be stopped. It's the only course of action. She just hoped her siblings were not as easily scared as her mother had been thousand years ago.

She got up from her coffin and looked around. This was not the place she fell asleep in. They must have moved her. The room she was in was full of dust, there was a strong smell of mould and there was not even one candle. The only light was coming from the dirty window. She came closer and saw the street outside. It was night and yet the street lights were bright enough to see the sign on a shop across the street selling newspapers. The roads looked different too and there were much more cars passing through.

She took her eyes away from the window. She didn't have time to marvel over the new age. She needed to get to her siblings as fast as possible. She reached for the door and stepped inside a brightly lit corridor. She stood in the doorway for a while to let her eyes adjust and then she headed towards the stairs, ignoring all the other people. Some where shuffling around murmuring something others were looking around with a look so haunted one would expect a monster to jump out of nowhere. So they looked her in a magical mad house, lovely. Then again, she supposed that was to be expected.

She came all the way to the front door without anyone trying to stop her but was she was to reach for the doorknob someone snatched her hand and twisted it painfully. She looked up to find a bold, muscled guy with cold empty eyes and scars on his face staring at her.

"Where do you think, you are going?" A woman's voice came from behind. Freya would like to believe that if they caught her on a different day, she would have been nicer, but as it was she needed to get out as fast as she could and they were standing in her way. Like they could actually stand a chance against her, like they could actually subdue her.

She ripped her hand from the man's grip and sent him flying with one flick of a hand then she waved her other hand to the direction of the woman not even bothering to look at her. She outstretched her hands and sent the door flying open. The second she stepped out of the house, the doors closed.

Now, she needed to find Kol. He deserved some explanations from her and he wasn't the only one.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you liked this one. xSilver-Infinite I didn't want to spoil anything but, yes, there is a mess that Freya is a part of, Esther has her own plans and so does Thalia. :-)**

 **A/N: Also thank you all for the kind words. It means the world to me.**

xbreathingfiredragons - Yes I am caught up and the latest episode completely destroyed me. You?


	12. Chapter 12

His aunt? His mother, the most dangerous and powerful witch he encountered was scared of her. What sort of disaster where they really dealing with?

He looked at Davina and saw her watching him carefully. He sat down heavily. He felt like the weight of the world was resting on his shoulders. It was times like this that he truly hated his family. There was so much baggage, so much intrigues. Everyone out for them selves. Even Elijah, Rebekah and Nik were both just fighting for their own goals.

He felt Davina's hand on his arm. He looked down, not quite understanding what she was trying to do.

"We will figure it out."

"How?" How could she know that he was going through that in his mind? His face hardly showed any sings. But then again she was always intuitive. She probably just picked up on that. He just needed to stop being so paranoid or he was going to turn into Nik.

"I just felt really worried all of a sudden. And I know it wasn't me. I might not want an innocent child to be hurt, but I don't like your family."

Well, there goes his theory. Now, she is picking up his emotions too.

"You must think me a fool." He said as he fixated his gaze in front of him, carefully avoiding her eyes. "My family betrayed me more times than I can count but here they are facing a danger. One most likely of their own making. And instead of me getting the hell away from this city and my family, I run to their aid."

"They are your family." She shrugged.

"And the witches were yours. Yet, you fought them for months."

"I didn't have to face them every day. It's much easier to hate while you have to be tucked away in an attic." She teased.

"You know, I don't remember when I talked to someone this much about …"

"Sorry? Am I interrupting?"

Kol's first instinct was to stand in front of Davina and shelter her from whoever came. He expected a witch or someone send by his siblings. He certainly was not expecting _her._

"How…? This is not possible." The girl in front of him was dressed in a long white nightgown with a wool sweater on top, her blond hair was a total mess but Kol could still recognize her. He took to witch as his date to a Christmas party a century ago. The same Christmas party he got daggered at because Rebekah betrayed him to their brothers.

"I have been asleep almost as long as you." She smiled at him. "We have much to discuss and I think you both deserve some answers."

"You?" His mind was slowly connecting the dots. "You were the one pushing me and Davina together?"

"Kol, who is she?" He heard Davina utter from behind him.

"A witch I used to know about a century ago."

"I am more than that. Why don't we sit? It's going to be a long story."

Kol sat back on the bed but still watched the witch cautiously as she sat down on the sofa.

* * *

Davina decided that it would be safer to let Kol talk to her and just listen. He knew her to some extent and she wasn't sure how she felt about that. She felt Kol's hand squeeze hers. She looked at him but his gaze was fixed at the witch now sitting in front of them.

"Well, don't let us hold our breaths, darling."

"Do you remember your mother telling you about your sister, Freya? You had an older sister." She started.

"Yes, she died of plague and we moved. Finn used to moan about her all the time. What of it?" Davina could tell that he was growing impatient.

"Esther lied."

"Lied about what?"

"Your sister didn't die. Esther gave her away to her sister, Dahlia."

Davina tugged at Kol's arm: "That was the name Esther used."

Kol stiffed: "First of, how do you know about this? And secondly, even if this is what really happened, this Dahlia person is dead by now."

"Dahlia found a way around that. She bound us together and put a spell in place. We slumber for a century only to awake for a single year of life. She said it was the closed thing we had to immortality."

Davina's eyes widened as the words sinked in. The girl inevitably admitted to be Kol's older sister. The sister that died before he was even born.

"I know it's hard to believe, but…"

"Hard to believe?!" Kol stood up and flashed in front of her. "You admitted to bind me and Davina and now you are telling me that you are my sister?! Do you really think me that gullible?"

"Search my mind." She stood up and all of a sudden they were standing uncomfortably close to each other. "Search my mind. It will explain everything."

"You are just going to let him into your head like that?" Davina asked. She would never let anyone inside her head. It would make her too vulnerable. She wouldn't even trust Kol that much.

"Dahlia is coming and soon. I need him to see the truth. I don't have weeks to earn his trust."

The witch suddenly gasped in pain and surprise as Kol clasped his hands over her head and not so gently slipped into her mind.

* * *

Kol looked around. It was snowing and it was cold. Cold to the bone. Snow was everywhere. He couldn't place where he was. But the memory wasn't clear, the details were blurry and some of the none important parts were missing all together.

"Sister, please! I cannot give up my child!" Kol turned around searching for the sound of that voice. He could clearly recognise the pregnant blond woman as a younger version of his mother. She was holding a little boy who was crying at her side. Probably Finn. Another woman, brunette with much sharper features was standing opposite her. Kol didn't recognise her but it would seem this was his aunt. She held a younger blond girl in a fierce gip that he could tell would leave bruises, just by looking at it.

"You've already offered me more than just this one child. Our bargain was for this first born and every firstborn of each generation that is to come. For as long as your line shall last." The brunette woman spat at Esther.

"If you do this, if you take my daughter, I swear to you I will return to the black arts, I will grow in power as a witch, I will make you pay."

"Your power is nothing against mine! Foolish girl! You knew the bargain you made. And should you defy me, then I will take all your children." She continues as she stepped closer to Esther forcing her to step back. "Including little Finn!"

Finn at started crying at that. Esther tucked him to her side trying to calm him down in vain.

"Even unborn Elijah!"

"No, Dahlia!" Esther begged her sister, but she merely picked up the little girl and carried her off while she screamed.

The memory disappeared and was quickly replaced with another.

"Your mother doesn't want you anymore. I am your family now." Dahlia hissed at the child.

Kol kept browsing though memory after memory. Those of any significance lighting up like Christmas light. It was disturbing to watch. Especially when he saw her trying to kill herself and her unborn child. She didn't get to escape as her child did. He felt her pain so much it almost forced him out of her mind but he kept going.

"Ah, I would be careful with that one." Said a witch to a much older Freya. It was a century ago. He could see her watching a past version of himself.

"He is a seducer. The boy is worse than Klaus."

"It's not like that." Freya protested as she watched him with longing.

"It never is, sweetheart. Stay away from them, they will destroy you." Instead, Freya moved towards him.

Kol took a quick breath and withdrew from her mind. This was his sister. This was his older sister that should have been dead for a long time. This was part of his family that never betrayed him. This was a young girl damaged beyond repair like the rest of them. A girl that just desperately wanted her family.

"Freya." He whispered.

She nodded, a little smile appeared on her face and her eyes teared up as she looked him in the eye.

For the longest time, there was nothing but silence. Then he heard Davina utter quietly: "Kol? What happened?"

He looked away from Freya and his eyes almost immediately found Davina: "She is my big sister. And she…"

He looked away from Davina back to Freya as he realised: "You said you owed us some answers. You are the witch that place the spell on me and Davina. You are the one drawing us together. Why?"

* * *

Hayley was sitting in front of a fire. It was too late and everyone went to sleep, but she could fall asleep and so she sat alone breathing in the fresh air.

"Hello, little wolf." She turned around at that voice. Klaus Mikaelson was standing right behind her.

"What do you want, Klaus?" She asked as she calmly turned around. She was annoyed if anything. She definitely had nothing to fear from him anymore. At least not while she was still carrying the baby.

"My brother said if I want something, I should just command. So I came to ask you to return to the compound." She could hear his voice was uneasy and he was carefully choosing his every word.

"And if I say no?" She asked, "You are just going to drag me back there anyway, aren't you?"

"Look, Hayley." He sat down. "I do want this child and I want her to know me as her father."

"And where am I in that picture, Klaus?" She challenged him finally meeting his gaze, "Rotting in a dungeon? Or perhaps dead?"

She could actually hear him gritting his teeth: "A child should be raised by her parents, in her childhood home."

She stayed silent as she watched Klaus. For the first time since she met him, she felt like he actually wanted to change, like he actually could. Maybe you can teach an old dog some new tricks after all. Maybe there was a future, where her child could get all that she and Klaus never had, no matter how dysfunctional this situation really was.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello, everyone! I hope you like the chapter. I won't be able to upload any new once for the next two weeks but I will keep writing so after those two weeks, there will be more updates. I hope that softens the wait. :-)**


	13. Chapter 13

Davina stared at Freya angrily. She knew that the witch was very powerful but now she was the source of all the insecurities she felt. All the problems started with her.

"I know that you find it hard to believe but I had no choice." Freya started carefully.

"I thought you were in a deep slumber." Kol hissed at her.

"I was." She admitted, "You see, when I came to this city I wasn't looking for you. I was looking for a way to break the bond between me and Dahlia. The witches of New Orleans didn't have the answers I was searching for but they had something different. It was not unusual for them to use astral projection. The elders passed the spells as a millennia old legacy. It didn't take me long to learn them. And so, when my year was up, my subconscious was able to move between the planes. I could not be part of this world but I could be part of the other side or even the ancestral plane."

"That's how you did it. It does not explain why." Davina could see that Kol was loosing his temper. In the short time they knew each other, she'd learned that he hated not being in control, not knowing. Something they had in common.

"I heard of Klaus' child as well as I have heard of Esther's plans. I needed to do something. She was the one that encouraged the ancestors' anger at Davina. She was shaping her, she was attempting to make her so scared that she would do whatever Esther wanted. I couldn't leave Davina there. Esther cannot have more power than she already has. And you, Kol. She was planning on offering you a body of a witch. You would get to live and all. Except, she would be able to control your fate. She would be able to use you as she needed."

"So, you bond the two of us together because it was convenient?" Davina asked coldly.

"No, I bound you together for Kol to help you on the other side. I knew that the witch who stole your life-force didn't want to die and would be hard to kill. I thought I was protecting you by bounding you to Kol. That spell only enhanced your need to protect one another, made you care about the other. I though it would take a long time for you to return to the land of the living. I thought I was going to be awake by then and I could have brought Kol back by myself. I was planning on tracking that Celeste witch and killing her. Turns out I overestimated her and underestimated you."

"Or maybe you cast the spell a little too powerful!" Kol snapped.

"I've cast this before. If you reacted too strongly, it's you being too similar."

"What do you know about that spell?" Davina asked, they really needed to know.

"It binds two souls. It creates a link between them. One naturally picks up on anything and everything that he shares with the other. In reality, the only think it does is make you see those connections as stronger then they actually are. But if you are similar enough, your tempers, your experiences, your views of the world, you can feel like the only two people in the world."

"And you didn't even think this could happen?" Kol was getting more angry by the second. Davina didn't blame him. She was quite angry too.

"I was enslaved by my family for centuries. I did not want that fate to be someone else's. So, I chose the lesser evil and took a risk. I would do it again given the choice."

"I could have handled mother. I am not afraid of her."

"Then you are a fool." Freya faced his anger with complete resilience, "Esther is not only powerful, she is also mad. That is a very dangerous combination."

Kol glared at Freya but said nothing.

"So, what's the plan?" Davina asked when neither one of them said anything for a while.

"Well, you are most definitely not going back to the witches," Kol turned to look at her and the anger started to disappear.

"But we still don't know what exactly that link did." Davina didn't want to go back either but she still remembered what Kol said when he persuaded her to go back. They still hardly understood what it had done to them.

"I have to agree with, Kol. Esther is still planning to use you, Davina."

"You don't have to." Kol signed. "We will just tell my brothers."

"But you spent all this time convincing me that we needed to keep it from them and now you are telling me that it's okay? Which is it, Kol?"

"I know that Elijah and Nik will both do whatever it takes to protect that baby. And right now, that means that they will protect you as well."

"Kol…"

Kol walked towards Davina and gently took hold of her shoulders: "I will be there for you. I will protect you from my brothers. You have my word."

"I know that you have no reason to believe this, but I will protect you too." Freya said as she looked at them both.

"You are right. I don't believe you." Kol answered instead of Davina.

* * *

Elijah wandered around New Orlean's French Quarter aimlessly. He truly didn't know what to do with the situation he found himself in. Katerina of all people came into the same town as his brother Niklaus found a home in. She should have been far far away form here. And yet, here she was. And what probably perplexed him even more was Nadia.

When he first saw the young girl and was introduced, he though it was just another one of Katerina's lies. But the more he talked to the girl, the more he believed the story. After all, a five hundred years old vampire would not just claim to be the child of Katherine Pierce if she wasn't such. That kind of vampire would have enough self-preservation.

"Elijah."

He didn't have to turn around to know that Katerina was standing behind him, but he turned anyway.

"Katerina."

"Why don't you join me for a drink?"

"Nothing changed between us, Katerina. I might not wish you dead but I could never trust you enough to be with you."

He turned around and started walking away. His vampire hearing picked up Nadia's voice: "Why do you even try? He obviously doesn't want you here. I know you made a deal with his brother but I never would have guessed you would let him …"

By the time Elijah heard the words his brother, he stopped listening. It took him all of five seconds to figure it out. Klaus would never make a deal with Katerina and to top it off, he seemed too surprised by her appearance. That only left Kol. What on Earth did his brother try to achieve by this? Either way, Elijah was angry. He expected to be played by Katerina, but not his little brother.

He turned around and ran towards the two women. He grabbed Katerina by her elbow and dragged her into the nearby alley.

"Explain yourself!" He commanded as she ripped her arm from his grip.

"Katherine!" He distantly heard Nadia but he paid her no mind. He and Katerina had some things to discuss apparently.

"I said, I wanted to see you." She shrugged her shoulders.

"What kind of a deal did you make with Kol?!"

"Now, why would I make a deal with your brother?" She asked, still denying anything.

"I heard your daughter."

Katherine sent Nadia a look but said nothing.

"Do not make me hurt you, Katerina."

She just smirked. Elijah gripped her by the throat and pushed her against the wall, lifting her a few inches of the floor.

"Go on then." She struggled to get out. "Kill me."

He squeezed her throat tighter for a few second but then he let her go. They both knew, he wouldn't kill her.

"What could Kol possibly want from you?" He asked but he was more talking to himself than her.

"The better question is what could he want **for** you." She answered.

"What do you mean?" His eyes calculating her every move.

"He saw, Elijah." She said like he was supposed to know what she mean by that.

"He saw what?"

"He saw you the night he died." Elijah remembered that night vividly. It was one of the worst nights in his long life. He might not have shown much affection towards Kol, but he was his brother. And it was awful to know he was gone. Elijah knew his brother thought him cold. He supposed he only had himself to blame. He let his brother's killers live their lives like nothing happened. They all did. As he stood in front of Katerina, he couldn't for the life of him remember why he would do such a thing. It was like someone else took over his body that day. Every action he did then went against everything he believed in for the past thousand years. It looked like he would have a lot to make up for with his brother.

And when it came to Katerina, she most likely wasn't here just for him. She would probably be already having more than one plan running. And God knows what she once this time around.

* * *

Klaus was happy that he managed to persuade Hayley to come back to the compound. He would finally be able to sleep better. This having a child business was so knew to him. He never wanted any of it. And yet, he was trying to piece together a changing table with an almost giddy smile on his lips.

He was glad no one was around. Elijah would be all about his redemption again, Kol would never let him forget it and the help would spread rumours about him going soft. He didn't even know why he didn't just make others build the room for him. Of course, if anyone asked, he didn't move a finger.

The wolves are loyal by nature. They might not be loyal to him, but they will be loyal to Hayley. Especially if she frees them form the curse of the moon. And he was going to make that happen. His child will be protect and most importantly, his child will be given the life that was taken from him.

He continued working mussing about what portrait to put on the wall next to the bed when he hear Kol yell his name from the other side of the house.

There goes is moment of quiet and peace.

* * *

 **A/N: This thing called life and studies keep stoping me from updating sooner. Sorry. I hope you liked it.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello, everyone who did not give up on this story! I am so sorry for abandoning it for so long. Hopefully, I can finish this story with any more big gaps like this one.**

 **Please let me know what you think. Comments are always highly appreciated.**

 **Enjoy. :-)**

* * *

"NIK!" Kol walked into the compound first. Davina and Freya followed closely behind. He heard Nik upstairs moving towards them.

"What?!"

"We have a problem. Gigantic one."

Klaus appeared at the balcony and looked down at Davina: "And what are you doing here, love?"

"She is here with me." Kol moved towards her, ready to shield her, before he even realised he was doing it.

"Is she now? My, my, you were busy, brother." Nik smirked as he descended down the stairs.

"That is beside the point. All jokes aside, Nik. Mother dearest is back from the dead."

Klaus' smirk froze: "How? Where?"

"She apparently took over Abigail's body. And brought along Finn."

"What do you mean by that?" Elijah walked back into the compound. "And who are you?" He asked as he turned towards Freya. She opened her mouth to answer but Kol was faster.

"That is one of my witch friends." This caused Freya to shoot him a murders glare, but he continued on, ignoring her in the process. "Apparently, we have an aunt that is just as mad as mother and also happens to possess the ability to stay alive."

"I don't remember any aunt." Elijah noted.

"Neither do I, however, Davina swore that Finn was scared to bits of her. From what she overheard, Esther wants to kill the baby before it's born so Dahlia can't take her and her power. And Dahlia want the girl for herself." Kol could see that the more he spoke the more tense Nik was becoming. He was starting to see red. Pretty soon, things were going to start flying.

"You know awfully lot about the matter, brother." Klaus edged towards him invading his personal space.

"Look, Nik, I don't care what you believe. I have my own secrets, just like you two idiots. I don't expect you to spill your little hearts to me, so kindly stay out of mine. All I can do is give you my word that I am not plotting against you in any way. And I certainly don't want either of those mad witches getting their pawns on the girl." Kol said looking Klaus straight in the eye. He sure as hell wasn't going to let his brother intimidate him. They played that game for centuries now.

"What else do you know?" Elijah asked when Klaus continued silently watched Kol like a hawk.

"Not much else. She is planning to use Davina and the other harvest girls for something. She apparently got the entire acestrial plane wrapped around her finger. By the way, who's brilliant idea was that one?"

"We didn't have a choice. The whole town was going to be swallowed up." Klaus decided to join the conversation and moved away from Kol once more.

"Oh, right, because God forbid something was to happen to your precious New Orleans." Kol snorted. Elijah's hand grabbed Klaus just in time to stop him from attacking Kol.

"This is not productive."

"Fine." Klaus hissed.

"Now, what more do you know, Kol?"

"Nothing at the moment. However, the girls and I will look for more information. In the mean time, I would make sure the baby mama is safely tucked away."

"What about you, Davina? And…?" Elijah turned to the girls, finally bringing them into the conversation as well. He still didn't know the other girl's name.

Kol felt Davina's eyes on him. He looked back at her, trying to tell her not to divulge anything more, it seemed to have worked because she just shook her head. Freya stayed silent but Kol could literally feel the anger she felt towards him.

"Anything you require?" Elijah asked Kol again.

"Nope. Got everything we need for now."

"Very well then." Elijah turned to Klaus. "While our brother helps the witches to find out more, you and I should spread the word to the vampires and werewolves to be on the look out."

"Yes. You do that. I will stay here, with Hayley."

"Niklaus. I do not think they would strike just now." Elijah pointed out.

"Oh, he knows, Elijah." Kol snorted, "He doesn't want to leave the poor helpless girl here with me."

Elijah looked taken aback for a moment before he managed to school his features into an indifferent mask again: "He is our brother."

"Need I remind you of Finn?" Klaus hissed back at the accusation in Elijah's voice.

"Kol is not Finn. He certainly would not conspire with mother to end us all."

"Why not? He wouldn't even say how he got back from the dead. That must have been one hell of a spell."

"Niklaus…"

"Well, as much fun as it is to watch you squabble about my intentions, I do have work to do. Ladies, if you would follow me." He moved passed his brothers and up the stairs. "You two, feel free to finish the discussion without me." He tried to act as bored as possible. He managed to master that over the years. But inside he felt like screaming. He came here, warned them, brought Davina back to a place she did not want to be and they still question him. Even though Elijah stood up for him, it would probably take about one ill placed sentence for him to turn his back on him too. It hurt, no matter how much he tried to pretend it didn't.

He almost jumped as he felt Davina's warm hand close around his cold one. She gently squeezed his hand letting him silently know that she was still by his side, even if his siblings were not. That he wasn't alone. Maybe this whole mess Freya created wasn't as bad as it looked.

He led both Davina and Freya up to his room and closed the door behind them. Before any of them could say anything he reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out unused sage. He handed it to Freya without a word. She lit the sage and activated the privacy spell. She then carefully put the sage into a decorative bowl sitting on the chest of drawers, turned around and with the wave of her hand smashed Kol to the nearest wall.

Davina cried out as she felt the impact of it as if she was the one getting hit.

"What the hell?!" Kol stood up and dusted of his jacket.

"I am your witch friend, now?" She hissed. Aiming to smash him around again.

"Were you completely blind?" Kol spat out. He knew Davina was hurting because he hasn't healed from the impact yet. He needed to explain faster. "We just told them that Esther is planning on murdering a child they are both death set on protecting. They were already suspicious of me. What do you think would be their reaction to you? A long lost sister that went through God knows what? Best case scenario, Nik would not let any of us out of his sight. Worse case, he would kill you and then stuck a dagger in my heart."

Freya's hold on me eased off and he still kept talking: "I am used to that mind you, but since you decided to play supernatural matchmaker, I am not all that sure, Davina will survive it."

"What now?" Davina asked as both of the siblings calmed down.

"You and I are going to set up one hell of a protection spell. Then we need to take down Esther. Dahlia will follow soon after." _And then hopefully, we can get out of this hellhole._ Kol finished in his head. He wasn't really sure how open to that idea would Davina be, but he needed to get out of this town.

* * *

"You want to leave?" Davina gasped out. But then again, she should not be surprised. Kol had an aversion to New Orleans since forever. And the way Klaus just talked to him, she couldn't really blame him. If he was too close to his family, he would just keep getting hurt over and over again. Like he has for centuries. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to leave. If today was any indication of what life would be like for her, she didn't really want it. Sure, New Orleans was home, the only one she knew. But Kol could take her see the world. She's never really been anywhere.

"I…" Kol looked at her with shock and a quite bit of fear. "I didn't say anything, darling."

"Yes, you said that after everything we can get out of this hellhole." What was he playing at?

"No, I didn't."

Davina just stared at him. Was he trying to piss her off?

"He really didn't say that." Freya joined in.

"I did think it though." He admitted begrudgingly.

"It's the link. You will be sharing a whole of a lot more than you do now. The bond isn't fully developed. It's a fail safe. There would be too much input if it hit you all at once. But eventually, you will share each other thoughts, feelings, fears and desires, memories, even abilities. You will be one. Of course, if one of you dies, so does the other." Freya noted.

Davina was shaken. This was too fast. Everything was too fast. It felt like yesterday she was quietly sketching away in her attic and overnight she died, bound herself to an original vampire, discovered some evil plot and it was still only lunch time. It was all moving so fast. She didn't have time to process half of any of it.

"How much more do you know about the link?" Kol asked eagerly.

"A bit more. I will share, but right now, you need to put up a protection spell and I need to get aquatinted with this century." With that Freya turned around.

"Wouldn't it be better to take someone who has been around to help you?"

"This is not the first time, I have done this, Kol. I have a system for it. If I need help though, I will be sure to ask." She smiled and then left the room.

"Are you alright, darling?" Kol turned towards her as the door closed behind Freya.

"Like you can't tell yourself." She snapped at him.

He didn't say a word. He just lifted an eyebrow at her.

"Sorry." She said with a sigh. She really didn't mean to snap at him. She was just trying desperately to hold it together. She was tired, like she hasn't slept in weeks. "I don't know how you do it. You just go through it all and it doesn't seem to affect."

"A lot of practice." He smirked at her as he removed his jacket and she could see the muscles on his arm and back flexing as he turned away from her and folded it on the bed. "I had ran for almost a millennium, if you count my little naps."

"I don't think I will be able to do this. Live like you did. One crises after another."

"It's not so bad. You get used to it. But for now, I recommend file away all that you can and methodically sort one problem after another until you have time to ponder about it all. Distracting works too." The way he said 'distracting' made her stomach flip nervously.

She was sixteen and not completely stupid. But she was innocent. She had to be to as a harvest girl. And after, well her almost non-existent social life evaporated completely. She felt safe with him and she felt like she needed him more than anything. However, did she want to started something like that?

All she knew was that she was attracted to him more than to any other person she has met before.

"Relax, darling." He smirked at her distress, "I don't plan on jumping your bones without your permission."

"I know." But it still felt nice to hear him say it.

"Alright, let's start with that protection spell. I want you to sleep in a safe place for once."

Davina just nodded her head and watched as he searched the small drawers for all the ingredients needed for the spell.


	15. Chapter 15

_She looked around. She knew it was a dream instantly. The dead giveaway was the Eiffel Tower she could see from the window. The lights lighting the monument. Would you look at that. It was beautiful. Just like she thought it was. There was soft warm breeze from the open window and she could swear she smelled the bakery downstairs._

 _Wait! How did she know there was a bakery downstairs?_

 _Her feet felt cold and wet. She probably knocked over a glass of water. There would be glass shards. She quickly looked down hoping that she haven't already stepped on one._

 _Her feet were way too big. And way too male._

 _That wan't what disturbed her. It was the blood that spilled all over the wooden floors she was standing on. She wanted to turn around but couldn't. It was like she wasn't in control of her movements. Like someone else was driving._

 _This must have been one of Kol's memories. That was why she saw his feet instead of hers. That was why she couldn't do anything but what he did. She must have seen memories like this but it was never this detailed. She was never aware of it like at this moment. Freya did say they will grow closer._

 _She walked towards the window not bothering with being completely naked. Obviously, Kol was much more comfortable in his own skin, than she was. She looked out at the starts. And could actually see them. When exactly was this? She wondered. The colours of the night seemed much more vibrant than she remembered. There was a star or two too many. It was one of the most beautiful things she ever saw._

 _"Girl number four is still waiting." She heard a man's voice behind her. "You coming back to bed?"_

 _"I am done." She heard Kol's voice out of her mouth as she answered him without turning._

 _"Well, then I guess more for me." Wait! What language was that? Spanish? She didn't speak Spanish. And yet._

 _"Just clean up when you are done." She still stood by the window breathing in the night air and now she was certain she could smell the bread. What time was it? Was it morning? It was still dark outside, but it could be early morning._

 _"I am not your maid. We ate her two hours ago." She could hear the man snickering._

 _"Careful with that tone, mate." She could feel getting irritated. Well, that was fast._

 _"Oh, come on! Don't turn sour on me now." He whined. "That is not how you treat a friend."_

 _She turned suddenly. And she really wished she hadn't. She wanted to scream out, but couldn't. It was Kol's memory she was reliving. Nothing could be changed. So she could only watch horrified. The entire room was a mess. At one time it had to be beautiful, spacious with gigantic bed and blue bedsheets. The dark furniture contrasting nicely with the almost white flooring._

 _However, at the moment, there were naked bodies all around, blood stains and small puddles. And a very naked vampire still holding a body in his arms. He was young, muscled and with short buzzcut._

 _"We are not friends!" She hissed as she suddenly squeezed the man's throat. "You are a convenience. Be careful, it's easy to become an inconvenience."_

 _She felt thrill run down her spine at the fear in his eyes._

Davina woke up, finally. She was in control of what was happening again and couldn't stop herself from screaming.

"What is it, darling?" Kol moved from his side of the bed they felt asleep on. She quickly moved away from him. The dream was still fresh in her mind. She looked into his eyes and all she saw was worry. How could a man capable of destroying lives left and right be also so carrying? How could the man from her dream be the same as the man in front of her? Which one was the real one?

"Davina?" Her tried again.

She didn't say anything but she looked him in the eye. Whatever he saw was enough for him to understand.

"So, it started then." He laid back on his back and run a hand over his face. "I won't apologise for what I did. You wouldn't believe, even if it was sincere. I know what I am and what I did. Soon, you will know what kind of a person I am too. All of it, the good, the bad, the bloody."

He moved on the bed and faced her one more time: "What I want you to know though is this: I will never hurt you. I will never make you do anything you didn't want. And I will always protect you."

With that he stood up and walked out of the room.

* * *

This had to come sooner or later. Kol knew that. And what he told her was the truth. He was a vampire. And any vampire that says they don't have blood on their hands are either lying or they are too young and stupid.

He also felt a bit guilty for dragging her down with him. She was still pure and innocent. Naive, really. Even after what the witches did to her. It was a bit like she was a cracked porcelain doll. She was still pretty as a picture, because the crack was so small that if you looked just right, it wasn't even there.

But he knew himself enough to know that he would end up cracking her until all that was left were pieces. What else she could be once she saw every single one of his memories? Once she lived them like their were her own? While he got a memory of her dancing at a jazz festival, her face lit up with happiness, she got a memory of one of his bloodbaths.

He wanted to let his anger slip through. He wanted to smash things and destroy walls. He wanted to yell at the world and he wanted to squeeze someone's throat and watch the life leave their eyes. He wanted to tear someone's throat open and feel the warm blood in his mouth.

But he knew he couldn't do that. He already scared the girl once today. If they were to be together for what looks like eternity, the least he could do was try to contain his temper. It was about time he learned how to. After all, even Nik was trying to.

So, he did the only thing he still allowed himself to do, he poured himself a drink. 

* * *

Klaus looked at the sleeping form in front of him. Hayley looked so peaceful just laying there. He didn't even remember what it felt like to be peaceful. Did he ever even knew? They way he and his siblings grew up never allowed for weakness. Mikeal wouldn't have it. Even Rebecca had to be tough.

His daughter would not know any of that. He wouldn't be Mikeal. And he would protect her from any of his enemies. Even his own family.

Speaking of his family. There was apparently his mother back from the dead. Again.

He walked over to Hayley and sat down next to her. Then he softly put a hand on her shoulder: "Love? We need to talk."

She squirmed but didn't wake up, so he tried again: "Hayley?"

She opened her eyes: "What?" Her voice was still sleepy.

"There is a situation we need to talk about."

"What now? I already admitted that it's better for her to grow up here. What more do you want? I am not giving up my people." she frowned.

"I don't want you to. In fact, we will probably need them. A war is coming." He didn't get to grow up with the wolves but his daughter still could. It was going to be a big part of her. "Esther is back from the dead."

"That's bad, right?" He almost forgot that Hayley wasn't in Mystic Falls when all the drama with his family hit the fan.

"The last time she was alive, she linked me and my siblings together, so she could kill us all. We are not sure what her plans are, but we know she is going to come for the baby."

Hayley's hand went automatically to her stomach: "Over my dead body!"

"We will do whatever necessary to protect you both. Kol and Davina already set up a protection spell around the compound. And Kol has one other witch looking for answers as we speak. All I am asking of you for now, is to forgo any outings."

"Davina? She is here? And helping you?" Yes, it didn't sound like her to Klaus either.

"Apparently, she and Kol got a lot closer since they both returned from the dead." Klaus shrugged. Something was nagging him about it but he couldn't point out what.

"Kol and Davina?"

"Surprised me too, love. Kol wouldn't tell us anything. He was secretive, even by his standards."

"Do you think it might have something to do with the way he was brought back? Did he ever tell you how he managed that?" Hayley asked.

"No, he did not."

How could he not see any of it before? His brother suddenly came back from the dead without any explanation whatsoever. And then Davina became his little helper in a matter of two weeks. They came back at the same time. There was something going on. Something his brother didn't want anyone to know.

That meant, he was either going to betray them or this could be used against him.

Either way, Klaus would not let it go.

It was time he and his brother talked.

* * *

 **Please, let me know what you think, comments are always highly appreciated! :-)**


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